The Redemption
by CrystalMaiden77
Summary: After years of working for Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic finally gets fed up after a series of incidents that lead him to take Sonic up on his offer. The sequel to The Rescue Mission. Finally completed!
1. Chapter 1

In the living room of his base, Eggman exclaimed happily to Orbot and Cubot, " He's the most powerful robot I've ever built! He's succeeded in nearly every mission! Of course he succeeded in this one! " Hearing that as he was walking down the hallway caused Metal Sonic to stop and listen in. He couldn't help but appreciate whenever Eggman complimented him, no matter how much he resented him.

Sounding annoyed, Eggman continued, " The only missions he hasn't succeeded in so far are the ones involving Sonic! What _is_ it about that hedgehog and defeating all of my most advanced robots without a single injury?! He defeated Metal Sonic every time he faced him, he defeated Mecha Sonic and every Silver Sonic to the point where he reduced the last one to useless scrap metal, and he even defeated Metal Knuckles that time I upgraded him and reprogrammed him to fight Sonic! "

" What?! " Metal Sonic responded, causing Eggman, Orbot and Cubot to immediately turn to face him and look nervous at how he was seething with rage, his eyes glowing red with his fists clenched at finding out what Eggman did. " You sent one of my own _comrades_ to fight Sonic against his will? " he said to him quietly while walking up to him slowly, trying as hard as he could to hold back his anger.

Trying not to look intimidated, Eggman replied, " Yes, I did. Why not? " Metal Sonic scoffed and exclaimed, " Why _not?!_ You could've gotten him irreparably destroyed! And at what point did he ever imply that he wanted to fight anyone? "

Eggman shrugged and said, " I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. It was over two and a half years ago! I sent him to Angel Island to fight Sonic one time because I didn't want to waste his potential. After all, what's the point of making a robot with all the same abilities as Knuckles and the same combat prowess if I never send him out to fight? And he wasn't even in his regular body. I uploaded him into that Knuckles Android body I made for him years ago so that I could subvert Sonic's expectations. You should've seen the look on his face when he thought Knuckles had turned against him again! Ha! Brilliant! And after he lost, I just fixed him back up, erased his memories of the fight and returned him to normal and downloaded him back into his regular body again. It was like it never happened! No harm done! "

" So you don't care at all that you brainwashed him into doing something completely against what he wanted to do? Him, the robot who you keep saying is nicer to you than any other?! " Metal Sonic retorted, full of resentment and disappointed in him. " It was the only way I could get him to follow the order! In case you've forgotten, Metal Sonic, he's _my_ creation, and any creation of mine is to follow all of my orders, whether he likes it or not. That goes for you, too. He was too afraid to fight Sonic and too much of a ' nice guy, ' but that wasn't up to him. It was up to me, as his _master._ And again, he doesn't remember any of it, so none of it matters anyways. There was no damage done! "

" Except to _him…_ " Metal Sonic muttered with his arms crossed, finally accepting the fact that standing up to Eggman was doing absolutely nothing. He couldn't change his mind, and he couldn't change him. Not hearing his response, Eggman said with an eager smile, " Don't you wanna hear how he did against Sonic? It was pretty impressive performance for a first-timer! "

" No, " Metal Sonic replied in mild annoyance while turning away, and quietly walked out of the room. Eggman was confused at how that had turned out. Metal Sonic hadn't been that furious with him since he betrayed him in the Metal Overlord Incident, so him snapping at his master again had gotten him worried that he was going to turn on him once more. But instead of that happening, he had simply left the room while annoyed with him without doing anything against him. " Well, that turned out well, " he commented to Orbot and Cubot, who still looked nervous.

Metal Sonic spent several minutes walking down the hallways of Eggman's base, resentful of the man he had to work for. " _How could he do that to him?_ " he thought, torn between annoyance and disappointment. " _Why would he put him at risk like that? He spent his entire life never being sent out to fight, with his only job being to respond to his futile plans with encouraging positivity, and despite his complete lack of combat experience, that idiot scientist suddenly decided to send him into battle with Sonic the Hedgehog, and thought nothing of brainwashing him to follow his order! Granted, he did erase his memories of the experience afterwards, but that doesn't change the fact that he went behind my back and risked my closest comrade being destroyed beyond repair! Couldn't he let even one robot of his go their entire life without having to risk it?! What, is he going to send Orbot and Cubot to fight Sonic next? I know that Knux is more than capable of fighting Sonic. Hell, he's probably the second most powerful robot next to me from his abilities alone! But that doesn't change the fact that he put his life at risk!_ "

After eight minutes of walking down the hallways in deep thought, with the various robots passing him by being intimidated by his foul mood, he noticed Metal Knuckles talking to a group of maid robots who were currently on break, sharing the gossip he had heard about the various robots in the base. Of course, he wasn't doing it to be spiteful. He just enjoyed talking about other people and their affairs. While Knuckles was a duty-focused loner, Metal Knuckles was a social butterfly.

" I know, right? And then E-2003 said that he couldn't hit the side of a barn, and he got _so_ offended that he actually went _crazy_ shooting all sorts of target dolls to try to prove him wrong! And, get this, he ended up shooting _every_ target doll, _except_ the one he was aiming for! " the gray Knuckles robot said to the three robots in maid outfits around him. They burst out laughing afterwards, with Metal Knuckles giggling at the image of such a catastrophic failure.

" Knux! I hate to interrupt your ' idle chitchat, ' but I need to converse with you for a moment. Alone, " Metal Sonic deadpanned, walking into the middle of the group in front of him. " Oh, okay. What's up? " Metal Knuckles asked in curiosity as the maids he was talking with left the room after saluting Metal Sonic in respect for his high-ranking position.

There was a brief silence after the maids left the room, as Metal Sonic tried to decide what to do. On the one hand, it could be considered part of his duty as a comrade of his to tell him what he just found out, and he didn't want to betray him by keeping it a secret from him. But on the other hand, there was no logical reason to tell him other than honesty for the sake of honesty. As Eggman said, there was no damage done. He had fixed his Knuckles disguise and wiped his memories of what would've otherwise been a rather scarring experience for him, and he only reprogrammed him temporarily. Telling him the truth might do more harm than good, only causing him to get upset and lose trust in Eggman, making working for him even harder than it needed to be. While Metal knew that Eggman wasn't the kind of man that should be worked for, Metal Knuckles was happy with his position in life. He enjoyed the feeling of social connectedness that came with knowing so much about Eggman's robots and liked hanging out with Orbot and Cubot, even if it meant helping out with their workload in the process. He needed to stay with Eggman so that he could continue to have the happy life that he did. Making him lose trust in him could cause him to consider leaving his side, and being less happy with his life in the process. Deciding to go with the pragmatic choice, Metal Sonic decided that it would be best if he didn't tell him what he found out. Some things were best left forgotten. So instead of telling him what Eggman had done with him years ago and upsetting him unnecessarily, he decided to simply tell him what he had already planned to tell him.

" I have finished reading the geography book you checked out for me, " he explained nonchalantly, in his usual coldly logical and emotionless way. " Oh, you did? Cool! So that means I've got another mission! Okay, I'll return the book to the library for you! " Metal Knuckles replied with a smile, with his golden-colored eyes full of joy, excited at the prospect of getting to go to Station Square and experience the outside world again. He always loved getting to walk around the world outside of the base and see what it was like. Not only did he get to have first-hand experience with the world that most of the robots didn't, but he also got to find out things that they never could. By " infiltrating " Station Square in his Knuckles Android body, he got to see the good in the world that most of the robots couldn't, because he was able to experience what it was like to be treated as a person by the people of the outside world. Every other robot was greeted with terrified screams and hateful suspicion, seen as nothing more than killing machines. Metal Knuckles never had to experience any of that. It was because of this that he was one of the only robots who had faith in humanity; him and Cubot, who was still naïve enough to believe that Eggman would make the world a better place. It made him spoiled in a sense, but instead of being envious, Metal Sonic was thankful that he didn't have to put up with what he did, not being welcome anywhere outside of home base even when he was doing nothing wrong.

After agreeing to complete his next " mission " behind Eggman's back, Metal Knuckles left the room he was in and started running through the hallways at 532 miles per hour, at the exact same speed as Knuckles, and Metal Sonic led the way, flying in front of him at the speed of sound with his jet engine chest. They dodged every robot and obstacle in their way as they sped through the base in a gray and blue blur, only taking a few minutes to reach their destination.

They stopped at a locked door with a sign above it that read, " Authorized personnel only, " and a keyboard in the wall near it. Knowing the password from Orbot, Metal Sonic simply typed with the keyboard, " Eggman is brilliant, " with his annoyed expression clearly showing how much he agreed with that statement, and the door in front of him opened automatically, rising up into the ceiling. Grateful that there were no witnesses, the two robots walked into the room together and the door automatically shut behind them.

Metal Knuckles eagerly went up to the metal workbench to the right of the computer and said happily, " Alright, let's do this! " after Metal Sonic carefully unlocked and opened his chest compartment with the key and plugged him into the computer. His Knuckles Android body was lying on the workbench to the right of him, currently inactive without a consciousness in it. It looked exactly like Knuckles to the finest detail. It even had artificial skin and fur, with the plug connecting it to the computer being in the right shoe of it. Metal Sonic nodded with a serious expression, plugged both him and the android into the computer, carefully used the computer by clicking on various icons and menus with the mouse, and after 30 seconds of electronic sounds during which he was grateful that the room was soundproof, Metal Knuckles opened his eyes in the Knuckles Android body with a smile. As Metal Sonic took the plug out of his new right shoe, Metal Knuckles sat up from the workbench with an excited grin that was rather uncharacteristic of Knuckles, and giggled. Aside from the way he was acting, he was a perfect imitation of the real thing. All he ever had to do was say that he was in a better mood when Sonic wasn't around him, and nobody was ever the wiser. Metal Sonic walked over to the geography book that was on the gray desk with the computer and the key he used for unlocking his chest compartment, and handed it to him, stating with a stoic and logical demeanor, " You remember your objective. Return this book to the library in Station Square and check out the next book on the subject you see. "

" I won't let you down, bro! " Metal Knuckles replied cheerfully. His older brother figure continued with a serious expression, " Be careful, look both ways before you cross the street and try to act natural. Ensure that _nothing_ will happen to you that will ruin your disguise, " with his dim reddish-brown eyes slightly shrinking involuntarily in a reflection of his concern for his safety. Not only was he worried about Metal Knuckles getting caught or damaged, but he was worried about himself, as well; after all, he couldn't risk Eggman ever finding out that he was sending Metal Knuckles out of the base without permission, and if he ever required fixing, he'd have no choice but to tell him the truth. Metal Knuckles gave him a thumbs-up and said, " You can count on me! " as the door out of the room automatically opened near him, and he quickly ran out of the room at 532 mph, leaving home base through the elevator that Metal Sonic had ensured would be left unguarded.

After entering the elevator, Metal Knuckles carefully pressed the top button, having some difficulty because of the spiked gloves he was now wearing, and waited in anticipation as the elevator went up to the surface. Soon, the elevator door opened, triggering an automatic mechanism in which the metal wall blocking the entrance to Eggman's base would slide to the left. The other side of the wall had a rocky look to it that perfectly blended in with the rest of the wall of the cave that the entrance to the base was hidden in. As Metal Knuckles left the elevator, the wall automatically returned to its previous position. He was standing in a cave near a forest in the southern part of the Mystic Ruins, several miles south of Sonic and Tails' house with a mountain in the way. Smiling at the sight, he sighed happily and said, " I love this place… " as he walked out of the cave and into the forest. He was the only one of Eggman's robots who liked nature. Since he was programmed to be optimistic and positive to the point of being an expert at seeing the good in everything, it made sense that he would see the good in nature. Of course, he was smart enough to keep quiet about it when Eggman was around. Knowing that he had a few hours to spare, he took a leisurely stroll through the forest on the way to Station Square, having memorized the way to its library already.

After over ten minutes of making his way through the forest, Metal Knuckles finally reached the train station leading to Station Square, and walked up the wooden stairs in front of the cabin to get to the train. He was grateful that Knuckles was granted free usage of the train for being one of the heroes of the world. He went into the train, and sat down on the nearest seat as the announcer over the intercom announced that the train would be leaving for Station Square. The train soon started moving on the train tracks towering above the Mystic Ruins, and Metal Knuckles stared out the window to the left of him with a smile at the sight of the scenery passing him by. At the speed the train was going, it only took a few minutes for him to reach Station Square.

At last, the train stopped, and he walked into the train station and out into the city with an appreciative smile. The city was full of life, with cars driving on the road and various civilians in it. There was a little girl with a blue hat and dress standing in front of the train station waiting for her father to show up, a man in a business suit standing near the ocean next to the hotel, and various couples walking into the elevator leading to Twinkle Park. There was a woman selling newspapers nearby who was having trouble getting customers, and a large man with a brown suit standing in front of a tall building. Every time Metal Knuckles came to Station Square, he couldn't help but smile. Granted, he preferred being at home, but there was a certain charm to Station Square that he couldn't quite describe. He cheerfully made his way through the city, making sure to stay on the sidewalk like Metal Sonic had instructed him to do over and over again, and soon reached the business district of the city, where there was a burger shop with a mannequin of its owner in front of it, a bench in the middle of a grassy area, and an antique store, with various people walking around the city. It didn't take long for him to reach the entrance to the library.

The library had no people in it aside from the smiling elderly librarian behind its front desk. This was hardly new, as even after introducing computers into it, she had always had trouble getting people to come in. " Oh, it's you again! Well, you just made my day! " the librarian said at seeing who she thought was Knuckles come up to her with a smile. She had interacted with Metal Knuckles so much from all the times he checked out books from her that they had begun to behave like old friends, with her enjoying his company, having long since stopped questioning why he was acting so differently from how she expected.

" Hi, Stephanie! It's been a while! How's the kids? " Metal Knuckles asked with a grin as he placed the geography book onto the librarian's desk. " They're doing great! Jason's gotten his PhD, and Kathy's business is doing well, " the librarian said, happy to see him again. " I'm here to return this book for my friend and check out the next book on the topic, " he said to her. " Alright, then! Right this way! " she replied as Metal Knuckles pulled Knuckles' library card out of his shoe. Technically, Knuckles himself had never gotten a library card. In fact, he had never even set foot in a library of his own free will. The library card that Metal Knuckles owned had to be gotten by himself, and since he looked just like Knuckles at the moment and no one would ever ask if Knuckles was in the library, no one was ever the wiser.

It didn't take very long for the librarian to bring the book back to its old position and give Metal Knuckles the next book on the topic. " Here you go. It's called, ' The Geography of The United Federation. ' He'll love it! " she said, reading the book's title for him because of his dyslexia. He had never told her that his dyslexia had been caused by a glitch from Eggman's programming of him, and for obvious reasons, it was for the best that she didn't know.

" Thanks! " he replied after briefly giving her his library card to check it out. She returned the library card to him and said, " Hold on, " and gave him a book from her desk, saying, " I've got another gift for you! It's the latest encyclopedia I've gotten. Nobody's checked it out, so they wanted me to get rid of it, but I knew you'd appreciate having a gift for your friend more. " Metal Knuckles put the library card in his left shoe and started carrying the two library books as he said, " Thanks, Stephanie! It was nice seeing you again! " and left the library with her waving goodbye. While the civilians he passed by found it odd that they were seeing who they thought was Knuckles carrying books with a smile, they simply shrugged it off as him bringing books to Tails and left him alone, making it easy for Metal Knuckles to get to the train station and return to home base without an issue.


	2. Chapter 2

" For the last time, no! " Eggman yelled at Orbot, in the room where he was building one of his new robots. " I am not going on a diet! " he insisted before finishing up the last of his cheeseburger. Orbot said nervously, " But Nurse Karen said- " " I don't care _what_ Nurse Karen said! I'm not going to stop eating the food I enjoy just because _she_ says so! She's the robot, I'm the master! I don't care _what_ my health report said! I've been eating whatever I want and not doing any exercise for my entire life, and nothing has happened to me! I'm not making myself suffer just to lose a few pounds! End of discussion! " Eggman shouted, not caring that he was making Orbot flinch every time he did so.

" _Talk about shooting the messenger…_ " Orbot thought unhappily, concerned about his creator's health. As much as Eggman annoyed him, he still didn't want anything to happen to him, especially not when there was a slight chance that he could prevent it. He was the one who gave him life, after all, and there wasn't any other place for him in the world than Eggman's personal assistant, so he wasn't even sure what he would do without him. So instead of leaving the topic alone, he persisted in the hopes of getting some results.

" But sir, you can't keep doing this forever. You're in your fifties now! You're getting old! Don't you want to make sure you'll live a long life? If you keep this up, it may end prematurely, and no one wants that! " Orbot told him nervously, not realizing that he was insulting Eggman. " Don't be ridiculous! I'm not old! I won't be getting old until I'm in my sixties! There's not a single gray or white hair on my head! I look fine! " he bellowed at his assistant, annoyed with what he perceived as him nagging him. Orbot continued,

" That's not what Sonic says! Remember why he gave you the name Eggman in the first place? It wasn't just because you like eggs! Maybe he'll stop bothering you with those immature jokes if you slim down a little. Then sure he'll insult you for other things, but- Ow! " Eggman slapped him at last, fed up with his robot insulting him. " How many times do I have to tell you to stop insulting your master?! I'll be fine! Quit nagging me! " Eggman replied, and returned to working on his new robot as Orbot sadly rubbed his cheek in pain and left the room. Neither of them realized that there was a witness to that scene.

" _How could he?!_ " Metal Sonic thought, filled with so many negative emotions that he didn't know which was the worst. He couldn't believe Eggman would go as far as to attack his own creation. Eggman knew that he cared about Orbot, since they were both high-ranking robots who disliked him and understood each other quite well, and it didn't stop him from outright attacking him when his back was turned. He felt betrayed, and devastated, that he would do such a thing, and in addition to all of that, he was angry, outraged that he would attack one of his friends, someone he considered family, and for expressing concern about his health. He glared at Eggman with his fists clenched, shaking with rage, filled with negative thoughts about him.

But after a couple of seconds, he started to remember how Eggman reacted every other time he had stood up to him. When he called him out on not sending him to fight Sonic in three years and disregarding how he felt about it, Eggman felt victimized, becoming irrationally afraid that he was going to hurt him and scolding him for being rude to his master. In the state of mind he was in at the time, he had viewed locking his creator in a room and impersonating him to get a chance to fight Sonic again to be giving him what he deserved and standing up for himself, but after the Metal Overlord Incident was over, it was clear that Eggman hadn't changed a bit. He felt like a victim. He thought his robot was being irrational and overly emotional, and disregarded his feelings entirely. He got no better results when he stood up to him recently, with Eggman not feeling any remorse about sending Metal Knuckles to fight Sonic against his will in spite of knowing how much his most powerful robot cared about him and betraying both of them. He didn't even get an apology. He completely disregarded how he felt about him going behind his back and brainwashing his closest friend and putting his life at risk, and saw nothing wrong with it. Standing up to him did nothing. It didn't get him to change his behavior, it only made him feel victimized, and if anything, he risked getting punished for it, and for nothing. He risked getting punished for nothing. As Metal Sonic thought back to all of the times he had insulted Eggman without him ever changing, his anger faded away to be replaced with resigned exasperation from the knowledge that standing up to Eggman would be pointless. His fists unclenched, he stopped shaking, and his red eyes dimmed to a faint reddish-brown as his expression became one of resignation, going from about to furiously tell him off to giving up on it within seconds. There was no point to standing up to Eggman if it would accomplish absolutely nothing.

Worried about Orbot, he decided that if he couldn't stand up to Eggman, he could at least check to see if the robot he lashed out at was okay. Not wanting Eggman to hear his jet engine or rocket-shoes and realize he was there, he quietly walked down the hallway until he turned a corner, at which point he started flying through the hallways at the speed of sound.

It only took a minute and a half for him to find Orbot, who was cleaning the kitchen with Cubot as if nothing had happened. After hearing his name being called, Orbot turned around to see Metal Sonic looking stressed out and worried, which was hardly a new sight for him. " What's wrong, Metal? " he asked. " Are you damaged? Are you alright? " the robot hedgehog asked, causing Orbot and Cubot to become nervous, worried about what his reaction would be to finding out what Eggman tended to do.

" What do you mean? " Orbot said nervously with a forced chipper tone, hoping that playing dumb would work. " I _saw_ what happened, Orbot! I saw that _idiot_ _scientist_ attack you! " Metal Sonic exclaimed, losing his composure. He tried to appear simply angry with his creator, but it was clear that he was more concerned about Orbot.

Trying to act like it didn't matter to him, Orbot said with a cheerful tone and a dismissive wave of his hand, " He didn't damage me, I'm fine, " and shrugged, putting more of the dishes from the kitchen table into the sink. Trying to reassure him, Cubot added, " It takes a _lot_ more than just a slap from a human to damage a robot! " with pride in his voice.

" Are you sure? " Metal Sonic asked, too worried at the moment to even care about looking like he had gone soft. In the span of just three seconds, he examined Orbot by visualizing the X-Ray Vision icon in his bottom field of vision appearing and being clicked to turn it on, was relieved at finding out that Orbot didn't need to be fixed, and turned it off by visualizing the Return icon appearing and being clicked. He sighed with relief, and said, " That's good… "

It didn't take long for him to wonder why Orbot and Cubot weren't making a big deal out of it. He questioned, " Has this happened before? " with a serious expression, causing Orbot and Cubot to look nervous again. After a few seconds of silence from them, the truth became clear. It wasn't the first time Eggman had done that. " Orbot? "

He sighed at hearing his name again, knowing that there was no point in trying to lie to him, and said in a reassuring tone, " It's not a big deal. He has a short temper, so sometimes he lashes out. I never need to be fixed from it, so it doesn't really matter. The first time was the hardest, but I'm used to it now. " Metal Sonic couldn't believe it. Not only did Eggman go behind his back and slap someone he cared about, but he actually made it into a habit. And there was nothing he could do about it. " _Sometimes I just can't stand that man…_ " he thought with his arms crossed in disapproval.

" So you're saying it's _normal_ for him? It's _normal_ for him to use one of his own creations as his own personal stress ball? " Metal Sonic responded, with his voice full of resentment. " That's just the way things go around here, " Orbot replied with another shrug, used to the way Eggman was. Metal Sonic sighed in exasperation. There was nothing he could do to make it stop, so the only thing he could do was accept it. He hated Eggman for treating one of his only friends that way, but there was nothing he could do to make him stop.

Remembering that Metal Knuckles was most likely on his way back to home base at the moment, Metal Sonic checked his internal clock by looking at his wrist like there was a watch on it and visualizing a Check Time icon appearing and being clicked, and saw 12:58 PM appear on his wrist from his point of view. In just two minutes, Metal Knuckles would be back, and he had to make sure that there would be no robots in front of the entrance to Eggman's primary base witnessing him come back. After all, if they saw who they thought was Knuckles entering their base, they would attack him on sight.

Metal Sonic activated his jet engine to start hovering above the floor and instantly accelerated to the speed of sound, flying out of the kitchen and down the hallways of the base on his way to its entrance. When he noticed a group of robots standing around the entrance taking a break from their work, he landed in front of them, getting their attention immediately. " Metal Sonic! " the tallest robot said in a tone full of admiration for him. " The _most powerful robot!_ What can we do for you?! " the Egg Pawn beside him said happily.

" I have received word from the doctor that all of you have been blocking the entrance to the base. The boss has one of his most _powerful_ robots set to use this entrance very shortly, and if you don't return to work, he'll have you all sent to the junk yard! His words, not mine, " Metal Sonic lied flawlessly in a cold and detached demeanor with his arms crossed. While there were times when he was terrible at hiding his true feelings, when it came to lying to benefit himself and his allies, he was an expert. It was impossible to tell that he was lying.

Believing him, all of the robots blocking the entrance to the base ran away in a panic, and were out of sight by the time the elevator opened, revealing Metal Knuckles in his Knuckles disguise carrying two books with a smile. " The coast is clear. Follow me, " Metal Sonic told him with a serious expression, and flew away at the speed of sound, with Metal Knuckles immediately running after him.

It didn't take very long for the two robots to reach their destination. Metal Sonic typed in the password to open the door, and he entered the room with Metal Knuckles, causing the door to close behind him. " Good news! I checked out a new book for you, and the librarian gave me an extra one as a gift! " Metal Knuckles told him as he placed the books on the desk and laid down on the metal workbench to the right.

" Excellent work, " Metal Sonic replied, and went through the process of plugging him in and using the computer to return Metal Knuckles to his original body again. After a couple seconds of electronic whirring and beeping from the various machines in the room, Metal Sonic unplugged him and closed and locked his chest compartment, which was barely distinguishable from the rest of his body, and placed the key back on the desk. Metal Knuckles opened his eyes and sat up in his regular body again, and gave him a thumbs-up with a smile.

" You're gonna love these books, Metal! " he said as he stood up and got ready to leave the room. " Well, yes, of course I will. Excellent job. Wait, don't leave yet!... T-There's something I need to speak with you about… " Metal Sonic replied nervously, trying to keep his calm and logical composure. Looking confused, Metal Knuckles stopped in front of the door and turned around to face him again. " What is it? " he asked quizzically.

" Has Eggman… Has he ever attacked you? " Metal Sonic asked him, unable to hide his concern. Metal Knuckles looked surprised and shook his head immediately. The instant he was asked that, he realized that Metal Sonic had found out the truth. He had witnessed Eggman lashing out at Orbot. Considering what he had just witnessed, Metal Knuckles was even more surprised that he hadn't completely turned on Eggman and left him, realizing quickly that Metal Sonic didn't feel like standing up to him would accomplish anything.

Metal Sonic sighed in relief and said, " That's good… " at hearing that he had never been abused. He thought, " _Come to think of it, I've never been abused, either… Not physically, anyways. He's certainly abused me by treating me like a slave! But he's still treated me better than everyone else… Maybe I am spoiled…_ " and felt guilty once again for being treated with such favoritism by Eggman when the other robots weren't. He was the most miserable out of all of Eggman's creations, and he was the one who was treated the best. He sometimes felt like he had no right to complain.

" T-That's good. Alright, your mission has been completed. Good work, Knux, " Metal Sonic stammered nervously, trying to change the subject so that he didn't have to revisit it, and quickly left the room, leaving Metal Knuckles standing in it with a worried expression. " _If Eggman slapping one of his closest friends won't get him to leave his side… what will?_ " Metal Knuckles thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, Sonic woke up from a nap on his living room couch, yawning and stretching, and said, " Time to go out for a run to stretch my legs! " He attempted to sit up from the couch, only to be surprised when a beeping sound was heard from his left shoe and he was suddenly forced to lie back down. " Huh?! " Sonic exclaimed in panic.

A hologram of Eggman projected from out of an electronic chip on the bottom of his shoe, causing Sonic to immediately realize what had happened as Eggman's familiar laughter was heard. " I've got you _now,_ Sonic! With my _brilliant_ new invention, the Position Stabilizer, you won't be able to get up from the couch! Which means you'll be completely unable to stop me from getting the Chaos Emerald from Green Hill Zone at 4:00 today! My plans will _never_ be thwarted again, and there's _nothing_ that your pathetic little brother will be able to do about it! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha _ha!_ " the recorded message of Eggman gloated, before the hologram automatically turned off and Sonic groaned after trying and failing to take his shoe off. " Oh, yeah? We'll see about that. Hey, Tails! "

Tails went into the living room in confusion at hearing his name being called, and asked, " What is it? " Sonic explained with a cheerful smile while trying to take off his shoe, " Old Egghead tried to stop me from getting off the couch with some computer chip on my shoe, and I just _know_ you'll be able to get it to stop working! " Tails walked up to him, picked up his magnifying glass from the table, and said while looking through it at the chip, " It's really stuck on it, Sonic. With nanoglue. I'll have to develop some anti-glue substance to get it off, so you might be on that coach for a while. "

Trying to stay optimistic, Sonic shrugged and said, " I guess I could take the opportunity to watch some TV. By the way, Eggman told me that he was going to get a Chaos Emerald from Green Hill Zone in a half an hour. " Tails gasped and said, " A half an hour?! " Sonic said with a smile, " That's right, little buddy, which means that it's up to _you_ to prevent Eggman from getting it! I know you can do it, champ! "

Smiling nervously, Tails asked bashfully, " You really think so? I haven't fought Eggman by myself in… wow, over two and a half years! Do you really think I can fight him alone? " Sonic ruffled his hair and said happily, " Of course you can! You can spindash, you can fly, and you're the smartest inventor I know! You can do anything you set your mind to! Whatever invention Eggman sends against you, you'll beat it easily! I know you can! "

Tails giggled, and said, " Thanks, Sonic! I'll fly to South Island on the Tornado-1 and stop Eggman, and then I'll see what I can do about that computer chip. I'll be back in a bit! " With that, he ran out of the house in a yellow blur, moving at slightly less than the speed of sound with his tails spinning behind him like a propeller. Sonic chuckled and smiled as he turned on the TV with his remote control, and said, " He'll do just fine. "

" Why are you coming with me, again? " Metal Sonic deadpanned, flying towards Green Hill Zone with Eggman's Eggmobile easily keeping up. " I've retrieved _plenty_ of Chaos Emeralds for you _before_ and _nothing_ went wrong. Why do you suddenly feel the need to supervise me? " he complained in a subdued tone of annoyance. " You'll see when you get there, Metal Sonic. I want it to be a surprise! " Eggman answered with a confident smirk. Metal Sonic had a bad feeling that the surprise wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

Soon, Metal Sonic came across a blue Chaos Emerald near the start of Green Hill Zone. " There, I found it. Can I- " Metal Sonic started, only to be interrupted by Eggman exclaiming, " Tails, there you are! I was _expecting_ you, " as Tails flew up to him with a confused expression. As soon as Eggman said that, Metal Sonic started to get the dreadful feeling that he knew what was coming.

Eggman said smugly, " I've been _thinking,_ Tails. You've never fought my _greatest creation_ before, while Sonic has fought with him several times. So why don't I give _you_ a chance to get destroyed by him for a change? Sending him against just Sonic, just doesn't seem fair, " and chuckled. Looking at him in a confused expression, Metal Sonic said quietly, " You didn't tell me about _this_ , " with a tone of annoyance to try to hide how worried he was. His eyes gave it away, however, dimming from red to reddish-brown the instant he realized what was happening. Eggman replied, " Like I said before, I wanted it to be a surprise. Now, go, Metal Sonic! Fight that annoying brat and _destroy_ him! "

But instead of attacking the worried child, Metal Sonic stayed still. Something was holding him back, and he knew exactly what it was. Tails didn't deserve to be hurt by him, and he certainly didn't deserve to be destroyed. He was a sweet and talented kid who was humble despite being a genius. Something about him gave him the desire to protect him, and he knew he would never forgive himself for hurting him. Not only that, but Tails wouldn't forgive him either, and neither would Sonic. He thought back to a few months ago, when Eggman had been captured and imprisoned by the GUN affiliate of SWORD along with Orbot, Cubot, and Metal Knuckles, and he went to Sonic and Tails for help in rescuing all of them. During that rescue mission, he went on an adventure with them that created a bond between them, as he earned Sonic and Tails' trust and respect. They got to know him for who he really was, and while there was still a lot they didn't know about him, what they did learn caused them to look at him in a completely different way. They went from seeing him as just a heartless killing machine to seeing him as a person, and started seeing the good in him for the first time. By the end of the adventure, they made a deal with him that they would let him join their side whenever he wanted to. But if he followed Eggman's order and hurt Tails, that deal would become permanently off the table, and he would ruin his chances of ever joining them.

Working with Eggman had benefits to it that convinced him to stay. He gave him a safe place to live where he was surrounded by people who respected and cared about him. Living in Eggman's primary base with him allowed him to live with his comrades and see them every day, and one of the things that anchored him to Eggman's side was the fact that he would miss Orbot and Cubot and would be opposed to abandoning his friends. For most of his life, Metal Sonic was certain that Sonic would never let him join his side and become one of the heroes, escaping from his position as Eggman's favorite slave and allowing him to get a better reputation than just an infamous robot. He was certain that his only alternative to working for Eggman was a life on the run. His belief that he had a lack of options led him to become full of despair that he could ever stop working for Eggman. He didn't want to stop working for him just to be rewarded with an unfulfilling life of isolation and danger. It hardly seemed worth it. But Sonic giving him permission to join his side gave him hope. He made it clear to him that he didn't have to spend his life running from Eggman, the world's armies and the world's heroes as the only alternative. He told him that he could still have a happy life without working for Eggman. Sonic could give him a safe place to live and friends who cared about him, just like Eggman could, and if he ever got damaged, he could count on Tails to repair him. Not only could Sonic give him everything Eggman could, but he could give him more. He could give him a chance at a better life, a chance to get a better reputation in the world so that he could actually walk into a town without causing a panic, giving him more freedom than he ever had before.

True, it wouldn't be perfect. Sonic would be the one in charge, so his freedom would have limits because he'd have to be obedient to him and behave in a manner he found acceptable to ensure that he wouldn't lose his friendship. He'd be replacing his current leader with another leader. Leaving Eggman's side would be a massive change of the status quo, forcing him to give up his home, his friends, and his reputation among his fellow robots, and replace them with a strange new home, new friends who didn't trust and understand him as well, and a reputation that he would have to build up slowly and carefully from the ground up. It would be an awkward transition for him, going from a side he was mostly comfortable with to a side where he had to worry about making a good impression and adjust to a new environment, a new life. He wouldn't be able to spend time with Orbot and Cubot anymore, so although they'd still like him, they wouldn't be part of his group of friends. He was at least comforted by the fact that he wouldn't have to lose Metal Knuckles, because he had already made arrangements with him and Orbot that if he ever left Eggman, he would come and visit him for a few hours every day in his new home, with Orbot putting him in his Knuckles Android body instead. He had already taught him how to do it, and both of them seemed supportive of the plan. In fact, none of his friends said they would hold it against him for leaving Eggman. They would miss him, but they'd be happy for him for getting a better life for himself. All of his logic was telling him that joining Sonic's side would be the best decision. But there was still a certain emotion holding him back. He was afraid of changing his entire life, losing everything and replacing everything, by changing the status quo. He had already decided from the very beginning that he wouldn't hurt Tails, but taking the big step of leaving Eggman entirely rather than just dealing with a punishment and staying with him would be a lot harder for him to do.

As Metal Sonic stood still with a worried expression for five seconds straight, with neither him or Tails moving to start the fight, Eggman became increasingly annoyed. " What are you doing?! Attack him! Fight him! I order you to _destroy_ him! " Eggman finally exclaimed at last, getting Tails to look at him briefly before looking at him again.

" No, " Metal Sonic replied decisively with his arms crossed and turned to face him. He looked at Eggman with an annoyed expression as he said that, and failed to notice how happy it made Tails to hear that from him. He had a great big smile unlike the two of them had ever seen.

Shocked with his robot's defiance, Eggman yelled out, " What?! Did you just say, ' No? ' Did you just say no to me, your own master?! " Metal Sonic replied in the same decisive tone, " Yes, I did. " Deep down, he feared the consequences, but he stayed brave and appeared to not care about them at all. Eggman stammered and exclaimed, " Why are you being so defiant?! He's the closest companion of your sworn enemy! Why are you refusing to attack him?! Where is this coming from? You _will_ fight him, or there will be consequences! "

Wanting to make absolutely sure that he had no choice but to leave Eggman's side, Metal Sonic decided to find out exactly what Eggman was threatening him with. " Oh, that's _new,_ you're actually going to _punish_ me? " Metal Sonic replied with a tone full of disrespect, rolling his eyes at him like a rebellious teenager. " That's right! You're going to go along with my plan and stop this nonsense or else! " Eggman yelled.

" Or else what? " Metal Sonic shot back at him. This was it. The moment that would determine if he would stay or leave. " Or else I'll _reprogram_ _you_ so that you _stop_ having a soft spot for this little _brat_ and follow my orders again! " That was the sentence that Tails had been waiting for.

The instant Eggman threatened to reprogram him, Metal Sonic flew towards the Eggmobile indignantly and attacked it with a homing-attack at the speed of sound, causing it to shake so that Eggman dropped the communicator to the ground in a panic. Without even stopping once, Metal Sonic raced towards the communicator in a blue blur, picked it up while flying towards it, turned on his boost to surround his right hand with fire and melt the communicator effortlessly, and threw the useless machine over his shoulder as he flew off into the distance. It all happened in the span of seconds, with him as a blue blur the entire time, not stopping once. " Yes! Yes! Yes! " Tails cheered while jumping for joy as Eggman panicked at losing his most useful robot. " NOOOOOOOO! " he cried out, realizing that threatening to brainwash him had been the biggest mistake of his life.

With a concrete plan in mind, Metal Sonic flew all the way back to home base in determination, went to his bedroom closet, put all of his possessions in a suitcase, and flew out of the base in the direction of Sonic and Tails' house, remaining a blue blur moving at the speed of sound the entire time so that none of the robots who saw him could understand what he was doing. He had already planned out in advance what he would do in a situation like this, and he was carrying his plan out the best that he could. It would be difficult for him to adjust to working for Sonic, but if the only way to stay with Eggman was to let him brainwash him, it wasn't worth it. The status quo he was used to would be altered either way. He would rather keep his individual identity than let it be altered for the sake of keeping his life the same. He had no faith that the world would ever accept him as a hero, or even as a person, but if Sonic would let him join his side, there might still be hope for him.


	4. Chapter 4

" This should do it, " Tails said, using a metal tool to rub a special paste onto Sonic's left shoe. It was specifically designed to counteract the nanoglue and make it stop being adhesive. A few seconds after he had done that, the Position Stabilizer chip started to slide off the shoe as Tails used a tool to force it outwards and put anti-adhesive paste underneath it. Soon, it fell off the shoe completely, and Sonic gladly got off the couch and crushed it beneath his right shoe, destroying it, and kicked it under the couch. He stood up with a smile, ran in a circle around the living room to celebrate and said happily, " I can run again! Thanks, Tails! " Tails giggled, happy at his accomplishment and his brother's appreciation of it.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Eager to take advantage of his speed again, Sonic said excitedly, " I'll get it! " and sped to the door instantly in a blue blur, and opened it up, being surprised by who he saw. Metal Sonic was standing at the door, and rather than acting intimidating or even like his logical and serious self, he was being fidgety, with his eyes darting around everywhere but at him and smaller than usual. He was nervous and awkward, as if he was acting shy. Sonic was surprised to see him, but he wasn't upset. While not so long ago, he would've been concerned about his most powerful opponent showing up at his doorstep, his most recent meeting of him had changed his opinion of him, causing him to smile at seeing him. It didn't take very long at all for him to realize what he might have been there for. After all, Eggman would never send his most powerful robot to ring his doorbell and show up at his house. Hoping his intuition was correct, Sonic smiled at his robot counterpart and said in as friendly a way as he could, " Hey, Metal! It's good to see you again! What's up? "

Finding out for certain that Sonic was happy to see him gave him some encouragement, and he was able to will himself to speak, and even look him in his eyes. Still acting shy and reserved and trying to cover it up with formality, he stated nervously, " I have decided to _leave_ the doctor and, take you up on your offer… A-Am I still welcome here? "

He was right. Sonic was overcome with joy, but kept his cool and continued to act just as cheerful as before, saying, " Of course you are! I knew you'd come around eventually, Metal. I always had faith in you! " Tails, who was watching the scene from close by, giggled happily, filled with joy that the impossible had happened and Eggman's most infamous robot had decided to become a hero.

Seeing Sonic's smile of approval filled him with happiness like nothing else could. Ever since he had first lost to Sonic, he had always wanted to earn his respect, to get him to stop calling him just a copy and implying he had no value of his own, to acknowledge what was good about him and focus on that. He had always wanted Sonic to see him for his own merits rather than see him as just an antagonistic imitation of him, and now Sonic finally did. But as happy as he was, he still didn't show it as much as he could've, because something was holding him back from expressing complete joy. It was a worry, a fear that if he expressed too much happiness at being so lucky, he would jinx it and lose it, an anxiety that he would stop being seen as useful and capable if he didn't remain dignified instead of expressing joy, and a nagging feeling in the back of his head that he hadn't done enough to earn it, that something this good was happening to him without him deserving it. It seemed too easy, far too easy, and while he was immensely grateful, he also felt a paranoid suspicion deep down that the universe would take it all away if he didn't make the effort to earn what he had received. Whether it was guilt or insecurity or paranoid pessimism, he didn't know. Either way, he felt pressured to truly earn Sonic's approval, rather than it being handed to him. A single two-day-long adventure with him didn't feel like enough to justify Sonic no longer seeing him as an enemy, even though he was certain that Sonic was making the correct decision by letting him join him. He wasn't sure if he'd make a good friend, per se, but he knew he would dedicate himself to being a loyal, trustworthy and competent ally to the best of his ability. He felt strange about Sonic accepting his friendship so easily without even needing an apology, and he was going to do whatever he could to truly earn it.

With a small smile that showed how there was still nervousness in him, Metal Sonic said, still trying to cover up his sudden shyness with an air of formality, " Thank you… So, I brought a suitcase with me that contains my possessions, from my bedroom closet, " quickly picked up the suitcase to the left of him hidden by the doorframe by the handle to show it to Sonic, and continued without a stop in his speech, " and I believe I should show you what is in there. C-Could I come in? "

Trying to get him to relax a little, Sonic said cheerfully, " Sure, come on in! " while gesturing him to follow him and walking forwards a couple steps into his living room, and as Metal Sonic carefully closed the door behind him so that it made almost no sound and followed him to the living room table, Sonic continued without a stop in his speech, " Our home is your home! You're always welcome here! "

Metal Sonic cautiously placed the suitcase on the table and opened it up, showing Sonic what was inside. In the suitcase were two hardcover books that appeared to be very educational, a rolled up blue piece of paper with a red rubber band in the center that was most likely blueprints, and a yellow plastic bracelet with green stripes. Hoping Sonic and Tails wouldn't inquire too much into the origins of his belongings, Metal Sonic immediately took the rubber band off the piece of paper carefully and unrolled it, revealing it to be his own blueprints. Tails gasped in awe and said, " That's your own blueprints! " unintentionally stating the obvious in his moment of shock.

" I took them from Dr. Eggman and hid them only five days after I was created. I wanted to ensure that he would never try to replace me if I left or something happened to me, and that he would never try to make me obsolete by attempting to build another version of me. Didn't stop him from making Mecha Sonic and those Silver Sonics, but they were _very_ different from me. The Silver Sonics had AI at the level of a common badnik, only consisting of programming to attack Sonic and anyone helping him, without even so much as a self-preservation instinct. So they were essentially mindless! Mecha Sonic, well, I assume Knuckles told you two what happened with him, he was repaired by Egg-Robo and left Eggman to work for him because he probably thought Eggman had abandoned him, and the rest is history. He had more advanced AI, of course, but he was still nothing like me. Eggman created all of the other Sonic robots from memory of building me, and not having the blueprints of the one they were technically based on was part of what contributed to making it impossible for him to make them that similar to me, " Metal Sonic explained in a serious tone that gradually became more informal. Sonic was relieved that he was relaxing already, if still being very reserved and cautious, while Tails was intrigued as an engineer by what he was telling him. " Part of? So what else contributed to it? " Tails asked, his young innocent eyes full of unwavering curiosity.

" Well, Eggman made me from Sonic's data. He put it into a machine that was specifically designed to automatically make a functioning robot with Sonic's data as a strict template. I was built because he wanted to accomplish the goal of building a robot as similar to Sonic as possible. It wasn't a matter of him building me from scratch, it was a matter of taking Sonic's data, making it into a robot, and making a few changes here and there. He couldn't make me exactly like him, because then I would've left him the instant he activated me and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference on sight between me and Sonic, so he made a few changes, altering a few things and deleting what was unnecessary, like the part of the mind that produced thirst, which was obviously not needed for a robot, and Sonic's memories, which would only cause problems. Basically, he needed Sonic's data to make me the way I am, and he didn't have it for Mecha Sonic or Silver Sonic, so he had to attempt to build a robot like me from scratch using only what he remembered about me. In a way, they weren't based off Sonic. They were based off me, " Metal Sonic explained. " Why didn't Eggman use his data again? " Tails asked.

" I made sure as soon as I could that the machine that converted Sonic's data into a robot would be destroyed, and I even got rid of the blueprints of it after locating it with Orbot's help, so none of the other Silver Sonics afterwards were based on Sonic's data, either. They were just attempts to replicate me. Eggman may be a supposed, ' genius, ' but he doesn't have a perfect memory, so without the blueprints to that machine, he wasn't able to make a new one. He couldn't remember how, " Metal Sonic explained, with Tails being intrigued and even Sonic listening intently. If what he was saying was true, that meant that Metal Sonic was a lot more similar to him than he thought. He became full of questions. Did he have artificial versions of organs, like a heart and lungs? Did his CPU work in mostly the same way as his own brain? And if it did, why didn't he have the same personality as him if he was so heavily based on him? Sonic was curious, but he didn't want to appear nosy by asking too many questions about him, so he kept them to himself. After all, any questions he had would most likely be answered for him on their own.

Metal Sonic said, " I-I've deviated too much from the point. I took these blueprints to prevent Eggman from ever getting a hold of them, and now, I am entrusting them to you. " He gave Tails the blueprints solemnly, and Tails gasped, saying in amazement, " You're giving them to _me?_ " He knew how much something like that must have meant to him. Metal Sonic was trusting him with something big. Not only that, but he was making it clear that Eggman was no longer the engineer he would trust to repair him and maintain him. That role would be given to Tails. The child was amazed and intrigued at just having the blueprints to Eggman's most advanced robot. He was always fascinated by the engineering feat that Metal Sonic was and wanted to know everything about how he worked. He couldn't help it. He was an engineer! It was only natural that he would be extremely curious and amazed about Eggman's engineering feats and want to know how he did them. Long before he became interested in Metal Sonic as a person, he became interested in him as a machine. Thankfully, he had enough common sense not to tell him about that, because he knew that he would be uncomfortable with it. He wanted to be accepted as a person, or at least treated like one, and being treated like just a machine was something he experienced when working for Eggman. While Tails didn't know for sure yet if he was enough like a human or Mobian to be a person, he was certainly suspecting it, and no one deserved to be treated like they weren't a person when they were. Tails was incredibly thankful to have those blueprints, and to fill the role as Metal Sonic's new mechanic. While he never told anyone about it, it was something he always dreamed of. He was fascinated by Metal Sonic and how he worked, and now he was finally his mechanic.

" You're the only one that I trust to repair me. My creator has _lost_ that trust. I know you don't know everything about how I work because you didn't create me, but these blueprints might at least help mend that. You're the most intelligent and capable engineer I've ever met, far surpassing anything that the _idiot_ _scientist_ could be capable of. I know that you're capable of this. Every robot needs a mechanic, just like every human or Mobian needs a doctor, and I'm trusting _you_ to be that doctor. No one can do it better than you, " Metal Sonic told him with sincerity in his voice, looking him in the eyes to make it clear that he meant every word. Sonic smiled and gave Tails a thumbs-up, which he noticed from a glance, making it clear that he approved of him taking on that role and was proud of him. " Of course I will, " Tails said with a sweet smile. " I'll make sure these blueprints are in a good hiding place, a place where Eggman will never find them, and I'll do my best to be at least as good of a mechanic for you as he was. You can count on me! " He held the blueprints gingerly in his hands, and had to remind himself to wait until he was alone to study them. He was fascinated already. From the short glimpse he had, it was clear that Metal Sonic was a lot more similar to Sonic in physical structure than he ever suspected.

Metal Sonic closed the suitcase, hoping that no one would ask him where he got the books or the plastic bracelet or even the suitcase itself, and felt shy again as he said, " I, I would not want to intrude on your home by staying here and changing its status quo. You're both used to living together without me here, and I don't want to change things. So I would like to request that I have a home of my own, um, if that's allowed. Tails is more than capable of building me a home of my own, and I don't want to intrude. "

Sonic didn't want him to feel like he wasn't welcome in his home, but he knew that he couldn't change how he felt, at least not right away. He wasn't used to being in the home of his former enemy, especially not with his permission. He was feeling uncomfortable just being there, and was trying far too hard to be cautious and careful not to wreck anything or make unapproved changes, for fear he would be overstepping his boundaries. Sonic hoped that he would soon adjust to being there and relax, but in the mean time, he didn't want him living in a place where he didn't feel comfortable. He wanted to make his transition to the side of good as easy as he could. So after a second of hesitation, he said with a smile, " You won't be intruding at all, Metal, but if you don't want to live here, that's okay with me. I don't want you living in a place you're not comfortable in. I know you'll adjust to being here eventually. Tails did, and Knuckles did, so you will, too. It's just gonna take some time, and I don't blame you. "

Metal Sonic deeply appreciated Sonic being so understanding. He still couldn't get used to it, how understanding he was, but instead of being uncomfortable with it, he appreciated it. " Thank you, " he said, not feeling like those words were quite enough to express his gratitude, but not wanting to look undignified by saying anything more. He explained nervously,

" I need a home where I'll feel _completely_ safe, not just from Eggman, but from everyone else who would have it out for me. I also would prefer a home that is close to yours, since we're on the same side and all. And it doesn't have to be the same size as this one. In fact, I'd prefer a small home, no bigger than necessary. I don't want a television and don't require a kitchen or washroom, so all I'd really need is a bedroom. Just a place to have a bed and a bookshelf and maybe a closet. That's all I want. So, maybe if it was underground, I'd feel secure because it would be hidden. "

Tails asked politely, " So like an underground bunker, only, ' homier? ' I could do that. " He nodded, feeling a little embarrassed about how hard it was for him to feel safe anywhere except Eggman's base, where his old home was. He hoped that he would never get homesick. He continued, " Yes, that would be _greatly_ appreciated. There's a mountain just to the south of the Mystic Ruins and beyond that is a forest, and in the grove of that forest, as in the place without any trees, you could put my home. That way, it would be close to yours, but still in a hidden location where people wouldn't be likely to find Tails building it. "

" So my first task as your mechanic will be building you a home! Sounds great! I won't let you down. I've got all the right materials, and if I ever need more, I'll just buy some more. I've never built a home before, but I can figure it out, and it's just one small room underground, so it doesn't seem that hard. I'll build a bed and bookshelf, and then I'll provide the bed with blankets and a mattress. That'll be the only difficult part, and even then, it won't be that hard. And it'll be close to my house, so I won't have to travel that far to get to it and back! This'll be so much fun! " Tails replied, with uncharacteristic confidence from being full of childish excitement and wonder at building a house for the first time. Well, technically, it would be more like an underground bunker or a bomb shelter with a bed in it, but still. Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile genuinely at how happy and excited Tails was, and Sonic took note of it. It was a likable smile, a nice one. It wasn't brimming with confidence like his own smile was, but it made it clear that he cared about Tails and liked him. Sonic knew that his smiles would be rare, although still more common than Shadow's, so he appreciated every time he saw them.

Tails was full of ideas and bursting with excitement at the prospect of making a house for his new teammate. " I'll get started on it right away! " he said, standing up energetically. But before he could run off, Metal Sonic stood up and said nervously, " Wait! I-I have some more to say. I just want you to be careful that nobody sees you working on it, especially not Eggman. He's probably back at the base by now, and sent an army of robots to come searching for me. He'd never suspect that I would be hiding out here with you, especially since he knows nothing of our previous meeting. If any robots show up, I'll fight them off myself. My point is, can you make sure that he doesn't find out where you're building it? Remember when you made that cloaking device for your plane? You could do that again. You could, pitch a huge tent or something around where you're going to build it, and then put a cloaking device on it so that no one can see it or you in it, so you could make the house without being seen. I doubt the tent would be soundproof, though… " Sonic looked at him in sympathy as he stood up from the floor. His paranoid worry about safety was acting up again, and Sonic couldn't help but wonder what happened to make him so fixated on keeping himself and others safe above all else. Was working for Eggman really that nerve-wracking?

" I could make it soundproof! " Tails said with excitement. Thinking that was too easy and hoping the universe wasn't just giving him false hope again, Metal Sonic said nervously, " It would be perfect if you could. Also, I would appreciate it if the door to it would have a lock so that only you and your older brother and I would be able to enter it. And you know, the door wouldn't be something you could easily break down. I-I know I'm sounding paranoid, but I just want to be safe. I mean, Eggman's most powerful robot just escaped him and for all he knew, went off on his own! I wouldn't be surprised if he called up GUN and tried to get them searching for me! I have every reason to feel like I'm not safe! " with Tails nodding from his request.

Sonic was worried when Metal Sonic said that GUN could come after him. He hoped that he would be able to convince GUN to trust Metal Sonic. If they didn't agree with him that he could be trusted, they might come after him for trying to hide him. He remembered the last time GUN turned against him, and it wasn't pretty. But instead of letting the worry discourage him, Sonic stayed optimistic. GUN had trusted its former enemies before. It let Omega join despite him being one of Eggman's robots, and it let Shadow join despite trying to hunt him down previously. In fact, the only reason GUN went after Shadow at all after he saved the world twice was because the GUN Commander had a childhood grudge against him, and after he let go of that and started to like him, they actually hired him! If GUN could forgive Shadow and Omega, they could forgive Metal Sonic, too. Even if they would only let him be if it was because they thought Sonic would keep him under control, it was better than nothing. Sonic decided to take a risk and put his hand on his shoulder, which got his attention immediately, and reassured him, " Don't worry, Metal, I won't let GUN do anything to you. I'll convince them that you can be trusted. Even if they don't believe me right away, they will after the next time you help me save the world! You never know when Eggman will plan something big again! And when that day comes, you'll help me, and it'll go a long way towards redeeming yourself in the eyes of the world! "

Feeling a little embarrassed of how much he appreciated the compassionate gesture of him putting his hand on his shoulder, Metal Sonic smiled nervously, still being happy, but held back by worrying and self-consciousness. He hoped that what Sonic was saying was true, and said, " Of course I'll help you. If I'm going to be on your side, it is only proper that I contribute to it, and I will strive as much as I can to be productive to repay you for what you've done for me. I mean, accepting me on your side, making me a home, letting me have Tails as a mechanic, I can't thank you enough for that. I-It's hard for me to look undignified and admit it, but it's true, I appreciate it. And I'm going to dedicate myself to being as useful to your side as I can. Whenever there will be a new ' adventure ' for you to go on, I'll assist you on it. You have my word, " with his tone full of sincerity.

Sonic smiled in approval at hearing those words from him. It must have been hard for him to say. But as much as he appreciated the fact that Metal Sonic was going to take being one of the heroes seriously and be useful to him, he didn't want him to exhaust himself by focusing too much on it. He said cheerfully, " Thanks, Metal. That's nice to hear! But you know, you don't have to spend every second of your waking hours helping my side. You're entitled to your own free time, just like me and Tails are. If you wanna spend some time reading those books of yours, you can do that. It's not healthy to dedicate yourself entirely to just work, work, work! You should be enjoying yourself, too! Life is about having fun, not just about being productive. There's no reason you can't do both! I want you to enjoy your freedom. There will be limits on it, of course, but everyone has limits on it. And it should be obvious what those limits will be… "

" Yes, sir, " Metal Sonic said with sincerity, wanting to make it clear that he would respect his authority. Feeling like that wasn't quite enough, he kneeled to the ground with his arm against his chest and his other hand on his right knee, bowing to Sonic with a solemn expression that made it clear that he had the deepest of respect for him. Sonic was struck speechless at the sight of his robot double bowing to him in respect without even having to, and looked unhappy at him being so formal to him while Metal Sonic said with sincerity, " I owe you everything, Sonic. I never would've existed if it weren't for you. I owe you my life, and my abilities, and, everything. Ever since I first met you, I've had a deep respect for you. And now that I've been accepted on your side, I'll treat you with the respect you deserve. I pledge my allegiance to you, Sonic the Hedgehog, for as long as I shall live. "

After a few seconds of Sonic being speechless, he placed his hand on his shoulder again, causing him to look up at him sadly, and said with an uneasy smile, " Hey, you don't have to bow to me, stand up… " causing him to carefully stand up with a nervous expression, making it clear that he felt unworthy of being treated with such compassion by him. He was confused. He thought Sonic would be happy! Why didn't he approve of his showing of humility?

Sonic sighed, and said, " Listen, I know I'm the one in charge in this group, and that you'll feel pressured to respect my authority and stuff, but I don't want you to feel like you have to ask me for permission for everything and do whatever I say, because I'm not just your new leader, I'm your friend. And we'll be great friends! I can already tell. " Metal Sonic was surprised that Sonic had addressed that issue head-on, and so quickly, too. It didn't change the fact that he saw Sonic as more of an authority figure than a friend, but he appreciated his heartfelt words anyways.

With that, Sonic held out his hand and said with a great big smile that could figuratively light up the room, " So how about it, Metal? Friends? " Metal Sonic smiled back, overwhelmed with happiness at how, finally, Sonic was expressing approval of him and seeing him for his own merits. He had dreamed of this day. He had wanted it to happen for years, even before he knew he did. So after a second when he recovered from the shock of it, he shook his hand and said, " Friends. " Sonic didn't fail to notice how careful he was being with the handshake, being gentle enough that he was just barely holding on. He also didn't fail to notice how his metal hand wasn't cold like he expected. In fact, neither was his shoulder. He was the same temperature as him. As he smiled at appreciating how Metal Sonic was genuinely making a truce with him, he wondered just how similar to him the robot really was.


	5. Chapter 5

After Sonic and Metal Sonic shook hands, Tails said cheerfully, " It's great to have you with us, Metal. I'll start working on the cloaking device right away! " Metal Sonic replied nervously, " Well, thank you. That's a good idea, " and sat down on the couch, hoping he didn't have to ask permission. As Tails ran out of the room in excitement to start working on his new project, Sonic said, " Thanks, Metal. He had been _looking_ for a new project to work on! You can tell he's pretty excited. Oh, by the way… " He sat down beside him and asked, " I forgot to ask you why you decided to leave. What happened? "

Metal Sonic sighed unhappily. He didn't want him to ask that. It would be difficult to stay calm and composed while telling him what drove him to his side, and he didn't want to look weak and pathetic by getting too emotional. But Sonic was asking him to tell him, and whether he meant to or not, he was asking as an authority figure, which meant that he felt pressure to tell him even though he didn't want to. Besides, telling him something instead of blatantly hiding it from him would help foster trust, and he was worried that not telling him why he joined him might get him suspicious. So he decided to humor him and explain to him why he joined, trying to remain calm and emotionless and ending up ranting as he explained,

" It was one series of events after another. First I found out that my idiot boss had brainwashed Metal Knuckles into fighting you two and a half years ago and didn't feel any remorse for it, then I witnessed him _attacking_ Orbot for being concerned about his health, and then, he attempted to order me to fight Tails! And all of this happened on the same day. There's only so much I can tolerate. He betrayed _me,_ I'll betray _him._ I know he wasn't doing any of that with the intention of betraying me and wasn't even smart enough to realize that he was, but I don't care. He got my comrades hurt and tried to tell me to hurt someone I cared about. And he's supposed to be someone I trust! He was on my side, he was my own creator! There are certain things I expect out of someone on my side, and he crossed the line! A-And after I refused to obey his order to fight Tails, he told me that he would reprogram me into not caring about him anymore, and that was it for me. I can't stay with him if he's going to remove a part of my individual identity. I refuse to be brainwashed! I have my own mind and my own opinions, whether he likes it or not, and now, he's just gonna have to accept that, because I'm not working for him anymore! "

" That's great! Man, I am so proud of you! You made the right decision, Metal. If I had to put up with the one in charge of my team getting my friends hurt, telling me to hurt Tails and threatening to change a part of my personality if I didn't leave him, I'd do the same thing! " Sonic said happily, briefly putting his arm around him in congratulations in the second sentence. Of course, as usual, he had no idea how much that second sentence meant to Metal Sonic, who was full of happiness just from hearing it. No one's opinion of him mattered more than Sonic's, because Sonic would know more than anyone else if he was a bad imitation of him or not. So being expressed approval of by the one he was based on and implicitly expected to measure up to, was the greatest joy he could experience. Despite that, the lingering anxiety in the back of his head kept him from expressing too much joy, instead settling for a small smile with his black computer screen eyes slanted in a nervous expression.

After a brief silence, something that Metal Sonic said hit him and he exclaimed in shock, " Wait, Metal Knuckles?! I fought _that_ Metal Knuckles? " Having been snapped out of his happiness, Metal Sonic nodded nervously, and Sonic continued, " I assumed they were different robots! Oh, man, I'm sorry! " " Don't worry about it, you were forced to fight him, " Metal Sonic said immediately to reassure him, not wanting Sonic to be consumed with guilt over something that wasn't his fault. He elaborated, " I hold no grudge against you for defending yourself. It was Eggman who made it all happen. "

Sonic sighed in relief and said, " Good… So, when I first met him, he looked exactly like Knuckles, and it was only later on in the fight that I found out how he really looked. What was that all about? " Metal Sonic was reluctant to tell him the truth. He was worried that telling him about the fact that Metal Knuckles could perfectly impersonate Knuckles would put his comrade at risk. If word got out that a Knuckles imposter was being sent to the Station Square library for Metal Sonic on a regular basis, not only would Metal Knuckles have a much harder time completing the mission, but Eggman would make sure to prevent him from even escaping the base. But since he was working for Sonic now, he knew he had to trust him. He had to trust him not to let word get out that Metal Knuckles could disguise himself as Knuckles, and to not overreact to the news and worry that he framed him for anything. And Sonic was in charge, so he felt like he had no choice but to answer his questions.

" This might require some more explanation. Do you remember the Shadow Androids? Those extremely realistic and accurate robot Shadows that had artificial skin, fur, and even the same vital signs? They were metal on the inside, organic on the outside, with metal bones and wires and lacking things like a digestive system, but they could pass for Shadow perfectly, " Metal Sonic reminded him.

" Yeah, I remember them. Whatever happened to them, anyways? " Sonic asked. " GUN destroyed them all when they were inactive in a covert mission. M-My point is, they aren't the first example of an organic on the outside robot that Eggman's ever made. Right after he made Metal Knuckles five years ago, he started working on what he called his Knuckles Android body, which he could easily be uploaded into to disguise himself as Knuckles. I'm not sure why he built it, considering that he only used it one time three years afterwards instead of using it constantly for missions for him. In fact, he never sent on any missions! His job is to encourage him and compliment his plans, so he's basically emotional support, and that doesn't exactly involve missions. I suppose he built it just so that he could say he was _capable_ of making it, " Metal Sonic explained to him, hoping Sonic wouldn't get worried for nothing.

" Why didn't he make one for you? " Sonic asked. " I didn't want one. It would be too different from the body I'm used to; for one thing, I wouldn't be able to fly in it because it wouldn't have a jet engine, and that's a _major_ deal breaker. I'd rather stick with my _own_ body, " Metal Sonic told him, unintentionally slipping into informality when doing so.

" But if Eggman's such a control freak, why didn't he just make one and force you to use it? " Sonic asked. Metal Sonic sighed, and admitted reluctantly, " I had special privileges that the other robots didn't. I'm the robot he's the most proud of, so I was made his highest-ranking robot from the moment he first activated me, and that meant that I was able to get away with things that other robots couldn't. Sometimes I called him an idiot straight to his face and didn't even receive a scolding! He gave me more upgrades than any other robot, complimented me constantly and was far more lenient with me than he was with everyone else. The most he ever did to punish me was send me to my room like I was grounded, and since I spend all my time in my room anyways, that was hardly a punishment. He didn't even take away my books. B-But don't think I was some sort of creator's pet or something! I broke his rules on a regular basis whenever I could get away with it! I was the most rebellious robot he ever had, and I still am! It didn't take very long before rumors spread among Eggman's robots that I was rebellious, but whether Eggman heard them and believed them or not, it never changed the way he treated me. So now you know, Sonic. I was the favorite. By normal standards, he's the most horrible person to work for in the world, treating his own workers like slaves and thinking nothing of altering their minds and abusing them, but compared to every other robot, I was spoiled… Sometimes I wonder if I even have a right to complain. "

Sonic was surprised to learn that a robot based off Eggman's sworn enemy was given preferential treatment above every other one of his creations. He assumed that Eggman would've treated him worse because he reminded him of his enemy, not dote on him like he was his pet project. The fact that Metal Sonic left Eggman despite being treated so relatively well was shocking, and it made his leaving Eggman all the more meaningful and impressive. Sonic couldn't help but feel sorry for him for being so ashamed of being given favoritism by such a man, and he didn't want him to be upset about it anymore. He briefly put his hand on his shoulder and reassured him,

" Of course you do. No matter how much better he treated you, he still treated you like a slave, and you have every right to resent him for that. He restricted your freedom and took advantage of you, and no amount of favoritism can invalidate that. You made the right decision, Metal, and you should be proud. The way he treated you better than all the other robots makes the fact that you left him all the more meaningful, especially to me. " Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile a little at hearing that. Sonic really was understanding. He was genuinely worried that Sonic would think less of him for being Eggman's favorite robot, and here Sonic was saying the opposite. He was full of relief, but all he could make himself say was, " Thank you… "

" No problem, buddy! " Sonic said casually, and stood up before he continued happily, " So, since Tails is gonna be busy making your house for a while, that means you'll be staying at my house until it's done, right? "

Forcing himself to answer immediately to hide the fact that he was so surprised by Sonic calling him his buddy, Metal Sonic replied, " Yes, of course… I'll hide in the basement until he's done. You don't need anyone coming in here and freaking out at seeing Eggman's most infamous robot on your living room couch, " unintentionally sounding depressed by the end of it.

Sonic felt sorry for his robot counterpart, and there was a worry in the back of his head that he wouldn't be able to convince anyone to trust him, not even his own friends. But he pushed it aside and stayed optimistic, and said, " You don't have to hide! At least not from my friends. If you're gonna be on my side, you're gonna be on theirs and it'll be up to me to tell them! "

Feeling shy and nervous again, Metal Sonic replied quietly, " They're not going to be happy… " being certain that Sonic's friends would overreact and continue to see him as a heartless monster just like everyone else, insisting to him that he was only manipulating him. And while he dismissed it quickly, there was a worry in the back of his head that they would succeed, and Sonic would stop trusting him on their word.

" I know they'll be worried about me at first, but you'll win 'em over just like you won over Tails! You'll keep on helping me and proving to them that you're different from they think and pretty soon they'll see you for the real you, and accept you as a part of the group! " Sonic said optimistically, and Metal Sonic replied quietly, " I hope you're right… " failing to hide his nervousness. He wasn't comfortable with being around people who hated him and feared him unnecessarily, and couldn't stand the feeling of helplessness he got from the certainty that he could never convince them he wasn't a complete monster. It wasn't like he cared about how people thought of him or anything. No, that would be absurd, and certainly not dignified of such a powerful robot! He just found it annoying that people were wrong, that's all, and certainly not anything else.

Trying to reassure him, Sonic said to him quietly with a grin, " And even if they don't trust you, I'll keep you on my side anyways. It doesn't really matter. It would just be nice. " That reassured him, at least a little. Even if nobody else on Sonic's side approved of him, he didn't have to worry about Sonic caving into peer pressure and kicking him out of the group. Usually, Sonic was carefree, but on certain matters, he could be stubborn, more determined than anyone else, especially matters of right and wrong. He knew it was right to guide him to the side of good, and nothing would convince him not to do the right thing.

Sonic said with a smile, " I'll call up Knuckles and Amy and tell them to come here for a talk, and then I'll introduce you to them. The _real_ you. I know it won't be easy, but once we overcome that big first step and get over that first hurdle, the future will look a lot brighter! I promise. " With those reassuring words, he went to his room to call up Knuckles and Amy, still grateful that Tails had made those communicators for all of his friends that could work even in areas with no cell phone reception. Metal Sonic sighed unhappily, and took the library book that was checked out for him out of his suitcase to read it. He wished that he could hide in the basement instead of being in the living room where anyone entering the house would immediately see him out of the corner of their eye, but if Sonic came back to the living room and he wasn't where he left him, he might jump to the wrong conclusions. If he didn't have permission to leave the couch, then he wasn't going to. He was a little ashamed of becoming so obedient to such an extreme when he had been rebellious to his major authority figure for most of his life, but from his perspective, you could never be too careful. If that's what he had to do to put his mind at ease and make sure nothing would go wrong, that's what he would do, even if it made him look weak.


	6. Chapter 6

After fifteen minutes, the doorbell rang, which immediately distracted Metal Sonic from reading and got him in a state of alarm. Sonic's friends had showed up, and he knew exactly how they'd react to seeing Eggman's most infamous robot on Sonic's living room couch; they'd become fearful, suspicious, and violent. As Sonic ran to the front door in a blue blur to open it, Metal Sonic wished that he could just hide in the basement like he wanted, instead of having to put up with what was soon to come.

When Sonic opened the door, a girl with short pink hair and a red dress with a pink hammer strapped to the back of it hugged him, and Sonic said nervously, " Amy, some personal space? " The girl let go of him with a giggle and said, " Sorry. So what did you want to talk to me about? I think I might know! " and giggled again. But as soon as she noticed the robot who had kidnapped her on Eggman's orders five years ago sitting on Sonic's living room couch reading a book, she stopped smiling and gasped sharply.

Trying to hide his anxiety, Metal Sonic looked back at his book and pretended to start reading it again nonchalantly, looking aloof and detached instead of dreading Amy's reaction to seeing him. Amy asked nervously, " Sonic, what's going on? " confused about how Sonic had no problem with Metal Sonic being in his house. Sonic smiled at her to reassure her and said, " Don't worry, Amy! He's here because he's finally left Eggman and joined the side of good! He won't be taking his orders anymore! He's one of the heroes now! "

There was a silence as Amy looked at him in shock, trying to take it all in. After a few seconds, Amy suddenly smiled happily and exclaimed, " Really?! That's great! " with her hands clasped together, jumping for joy. Metal Sonic was profoundly confused at her supportive reaction, while Sonic, who was more familiar with how idealistic Amy was, was less surprised, and simply smiled. It wasn't exactly new for Amy to have faith in the good in Eggman's robots, as Gamma could attest. Metal Sonic was relieved, but he couldn't help but worry that he wouldn't be so lucky next time.

Just then, everyone heard a knocking on the door, and Amy said cheerfully, " I'll get it! " and opened it, revealing that Knuckles had arrived. " Hi, Knuckles! You showed up sooner than I expected! " Amy said in a friendly way, and let him come in. He said to Sonic in annoyance, " Alright Sonic, I came all the way here from Angel Island because you wanted to tell me something in person, so this better be good. "

When he noticed Metal Sonic on the couch reading a book, he gasped, and immediately questioned angrily, " What are _you_ doing here?! " Not wanting to look like he was affected by it, Metal Sonic simply kept his cool and continued to appear aloof and detached by pretending to be reading his book. He couldn't concentrate enough to read it for real with all the commotion in the room. " That's what I got you here to tell you. He's not gonna be working for Eggman anymore! He's decided to become one of the heroes! Isn't that great? " Sonic told him, forcing a smile and cheerful tone to hide how nervous he was about Knuckles' reaction. He hoped he wouldn't do anything rash.

Knuckles gave Metal Sonic a skeptical look. Sonic was really going to trust Metal Sonic? The same robot that locked his master in a room and impersonated him to carry out his own plan? Eggman's most powerful robot, who he thought hated Sonic more than anyone else, was being trusted to have had a change of heart? Sonic's evil robot double, a heartless killing machine, was turning out to be not so bad? Something wasn't right.

" You're really gonna trust _him?_ " Knuckles questioned suspiciously with his arms crossed. Sonic thought in annoyance, " _Oh, so you'll trust Eggman over and over, but not a robot who defected from him?_ " sighed with a roll of his eyes and said with a smile, " I know you have doubts, but I've got a very good reason to trust him. I'll explain everything in my room! Follow me! " and ran into his room in a blue blur, causing Amy to quickly follow him in curiosity, leaving Knuckles alone with Metal Sonic.

Knuckles said suspiciously, " I don't trust you. " Instead of getting annoyed or intimidated, the robot hedgehog apathetically shrugged his shoulders without taking his eyes off his book and deadpanned, " Whatever. " Knuckles was taken by surprise from his reaction, and it took two seconds for him to stop looking surprised and follow Sonic into his room with annoyance. It was clear that Sonic was going to tell Knuckles and Amy everything about what had happened on his adventure with Metal Sonic, but the robot was certain that it wouldn't convince Knuckles to trust him. As soon as the door to Sonic's bedroom closed, he sighed in relief, and finally resumed his reading for real.


	7. Chapter 7

The next time that Eggman returned to his base, he was more frantic than ever before and trying to cover it up by acting furious. His most useful robot had run away, and he had no clue where he could've gone. " What happened? Where's Metal Sonic? " Orbot asked him nervously in the kitchen, with Cubot, Metal Knuckles, and a few Egg Pawns in the room with them. " How should I know?! All I did was try to order him to fight Tails and he ran off! "

One of the Egg Pawns spoke up and said, " I saw a dark blue blur fly through the hallways just before you came back! " Getting worried, Eggman ordered, " Show me exactly where you saw him! " and followed him a short distance to the hallway leading to the hallway with Metal Sonic's bedroom door in it. " He went in that direction! " he said, and Eggman gasped. He rushed into Metal Sonic's bedroom in a hurry, and soon discovered that the room was completely empty. In denial, Eggman opened the closet, and it was devoid of all possessions. His most powerful robot had run away, and he had no way of knowing if he would ever come back. " NOOOOOOOOOOOO! " Eggman shouted, causing Orbot, Cubot and Metal Knuckles to rush into the room and see the evidence for themselves.

Neither of them were as surprised as Eggman was. Orbot and Cubot had worried on two separate occasions in the same day that Metal Sonic would be driven to leave Eggman for good, and were surprised and confused when he apparently didn't, and Metal Knuckles wasn't that surprised either. They knew that from Metal Sonic's perspective, Eggman had betrayed him and couldn't be trusted. They weren't upset because they disapproved of Metal Sonic leaving Eggman. They simply knew that they were going to miss having him around, and worried for his safety.

" How could this have happened?! " Eggman exclaimed furiously and frantically, stomping his feet in a minor tantrum. Orbot asked while trying to be polite about it, " What exactly did you say to him? " Annoyed, Eggman explained, " All I did was order him to fight Tails, and he got defiant with me and refused to! And I got so frustrated with him not going along with my plans that I threatened to reprogram him if he kept being defiant! "

" Well, no wonder he left! He can't stand the idea of being reprogrammed! He thinks of it as brainwashing! " Metal Knuckles said. " I wasn't going to completely change who he was! I just said I was going to reprogram him so that he stopped having a problem with hurting Tails, and he immediately attacked my Eggmobile to make me drop my communicator, destroyed it so that I couldn't warn the base of his defiance, and flew away! I just don't get it! I thought after the Metal Overlord Incident, he would never turn on me again! What happened?! " Eggman ranted.

" Sir, from his perspective, he's been betrayed by you multiple times in a row on the same day! Of course it would give him the motivation to leave you after you made him feel like he had no other option! " Orbot told him. " What do you mean, multiple times? " Eggman questioned. He figured that Metal Sonic felt betrayed that he sent Metal Knuckles out to fight Sonic years ago, since he made his feelings about that very clear. But he didn't know what else he had done.

" He saw you slap me today… " Orbot admitted quietly, with his head hung low. Eggman gasped. If that didn't make Metal Sonic feel betrayed, nothing would. Metal Knuckles added, " The next time he saw me after that, he actually asked me if you had ever done that to _me!_ " Eggman was shocked. Of course he wouldn't attack Metal Knuckles! As much as that robot insisted that he had no interest in fighting and hurting people, especially the one he considered to be his father, it still didn't make Eggman forget that he was one of his most powerful creations, having all of Knuckles' abilities and strength. In fact, he was even stronger than Knuckles was for being a robot alone. From Eggman's perspective, Orbot was a pushover who couldn't fight back, but Metal Knuckles at least could fight back, potentially, and fight back very well. The only fighting move he had ever seen him use was the Thunder Arrow, when he panicked at seeing his master in danger of being killed by an out of control machine and shot lightning at it instinctively. If he ever slapped him, there was a chance, no matter how small, that he would use that on him, and he didn't feel like getting electrocuted by him any time soon. He thought it would be obvious to Metal Sonic why he would never slap Metal Knuckles, and the fact that his robot became worried about it anyways was shocking to him. It really drove it home how much trust he lost that day. It was clear that from Metal Sonic's perspective, if he hurt Orbot, he'd hurt any of his comrades. He couldn't work with someone he no longer trusted.

Going into denial about losing his most powerful robot permanently, Eggman insisted, " I'll get him back if it's the last thing I do! I don't care what it takes! I'll bribe him, manipulate him, send armies of robots after him to deactivate him so that I can reprogram him, I'll do whatever it takes to get him back on my side! " With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving his highest ranking robots alone. They knew that no matter what Eggman did, he was never going to get Metal Sonic back. For the most part, he had very little motivation and had to force himself to do a lot of things, but there were still a few situations where he could be extremely stubborn, still retaining the unbreakable will that he and Sonic were known for. If he dedicated himself to something important, nothing would convince him to stop. He would never let Eggman reprogram him, and considering how powerful he was, he would certainly never be deactivated by Eggman's armies. If anything, he would take advantage of them and use them for stress relief, destroying them by the dozens just like he did in his daily combat training. Eggman could send 30 minutes' worth of robots after him and he'd happily destroy every single one of them. All Eggman would be doing is making his stressful transition to Sonic's side all the easier by giving him a productive way to let out his frustration. He was too smart to manipulate and too stubborn to bribe. He was never coming back.

Author's Notes: Sorry for another short chapter, but you'd be surprised how long it takes me to write chapters. It took about an hour for me to write this one, and the fact that I have a cold doesn't help. Hope you enjoyed it, not like I'd know.


	8. Chapter 8

It had only been an hour since Sonic had revealed to his friends that Metal Sonic would become a part of their team. Knuckles still didn't trust him, being convinced that the robot was just trying to manipulate Sonic and Tails for his own benefit, while Amy was incredibly happy that Metal Sonic had turned out to have a good heart in him and eagerly accepted him into the team. Both of them went home after that, having things to do, and Sonic proceeded to run to where Tails was building Metal Sonic's new home and tell him to come home for dinner.

Sonic and Tails were sitting in front of the table in the living room eating spaghetti while watching the news on TV. They wouldn't be expected to watch the news, since both of them weren't even 30 yet, but since they were heroes, it made sense that they would be keeping up with the current events, if only to find out when and where Eggman's attacks were and help out. Metal Sonic was on the couch, still reading his book. He never liked television, mainly because he was worried that a TV show would show something like electricity and remind him of his most terrifying experience. At least when he ran into a trigger in a book, he wasn't seeing it and hearing it, and only saw it on text. The only TV show he ever watched was the weather report to find out if there would be a lightning storm. But he couldn't go into the basement like he wanted because Sonic wanted him in the room, and if he wanted to keep his trust, he couldn't object and act too independently, especially not on the first day of the truce. So he stayed on the living room couch reading a book with Sonic and Tails watching TV in front of him, feeling like an outsider who didn't belong. It would take a long time to adjust to the fact that he was on Sonic's side and was welcome in his home.

The reporter on television, Cindy Coatmen, was a short-haired brunette woman in her 20s wearing a black jacket with a purple shirt and black pants. Giving out the news, she said, " The factory had collapsed three hours ago, leaving 20 people injured, and sources say that- Hey! " Sonic and Tails gasped and Metal Sonic snapped to attention when Eggman showed up on the screen to take away the reporter's microphone and demand on television, " Metal Sonic! Where are you?! You _weren't_ given permission to run off! I'll be waiting for you in Pebble Meadows just south of here, and if you know what's _good_ for you, you'll show up and explain yourself! " After that, he left, leaving the shocked and confused reporter staring for a few seconds before clearing her throat and nervously commenting, " Well, um, that was odd. Don't go to Pebble Meadows, then, everyone! It will be very dangerous! " and continuing with the rest of her script for reporting the news.

" Did you hear that, Metal?! Eggman wants to confront you! I guess he had no other way of reaching you! You don't even have a tracking device installed in you or anything? That's convenient… " Tails exclaimed. Sonic said, " You should probably go confront him. We don't know what Eggman will do if you don't show up! He might start destroying property and causing collateral damage! " with an unusual seriousness in his tone.

Metal Sonic nodded. A part of him looked forward to confronting Eggman and telling him in person why he was leaving his side and confirming that he wasn't ever coming back, despite the worry that Eggman had a trick up his sleeve. With that, he flew out of the house in a dark blue blur, leaving it at the speed of sound.

It didn't take very long for him to reach the location where Eggman had demanded for him to show up. When he found Eggman in his Eggmobile, he stopped flying and stood on the ground with his arms crossed in defiance, with a disrespectful and unyielding expression on his face.

Eggman exclaimed, " Metal Sonic, what is the meaning of this?! I didn't give you permission to run off without completing your mission and not tell me where you went! Your bedroom and closet are completely devoid of your possessions! If you think you're running away and turning on me like Omega did, you've got another thing coming! "

Metal Sonic shrugged nonchalantly and continued to look at him with disdain and disrespect, not being intimidated by him at all. He replied calmly, " You know _exactly_ why I've decided to leave. You betrayed me. You put one of my comrades in danger and made a habit of _attacking_ the other one, and feel no remorse about it in the slightest. You gave me an unreasonable order and threatened to brainwash me if I refused. You betray _me_ and I'll betray _you._ It's only fair that I return the favor. " Eggman growled and complained, " I treat you better than any other robot and this is how you repay me?! You insufferable spoiled brat! You think you're standing up to an unjustified oppressor, but all you're doing is behaving like a rebellious teenager! Stop acting your age! "

Metal Sonic retorted with a roll of his eyes, " You designed me to be the same age as Sonic. If he's a teenager, so am I. Deal with it. " Eggman crossed his arms briefly before complaining, " Arrgh! Why do you have to be SO rebellious?! I give you everything a robot could want! You have an _excellent_ reputation in my base, you're the highest ranking of robots with a _ridiculous_ amount of special privileges, and you get more missions and upgrades than _any_ other robot! Why do you constantly complain about working for me?! I'm the single greatest master you could ever hope to have! "

Metal Sonic scoffed and deadpanned, " Oh, please. You, the greatest master? You're deluded. First of all, I resent you because your personality is unbearable. You're a self-absorbed narcissist with no common sense who treats his own creations like mindless slaves. You're controlling and hedonistic and when you can't get what you want, you overreact like a child. If _anyone_ is the spoiled brat here, it's _you._ And _second,_ I never _once_ thought of you as my master. I worked for you. If anything, you were my _employer,_ and paid me by giving me a safe place to live, but you treated me like a slave. You never acknowledged me as a person with my own thoughts and feelings and opinions and rights, despite the fact that you know better than anyone else that my AI is advanced enough to be at the same level as a human or Mobian, all because to you, I'm _just_ a machine. Well, I'm done with putting up with all of this. You can't order me around anymore, because guess what?! I quit! "

Dumbfounded, Eggman stammered before yelling, " You quit?! " Metal Sonic responded passionately, " That's right! I quit! I wish I had a badge or uniform so I could throw it to the ground! Don't expect me to take your orders anymore. I'm through with those painful fights with Sonic, I'm through with wasting my time inconveniencing GUN, and I'm through with spending every morning being expected to listen to your long boastful speeches about your futile and idiotic plans. I'm not working for you anymore! "

Eggman exclaimed, " How many times do I have to remind you that I'm your master, not your boss?! You _can't_ QUIT! You're _my_ robot! You're _my_ property! I'm the one who _made_ you and you owe it to me to do whatever I say! You're not a person, you're just a machine that _thinks_ it is! You are going to do whatever I say because I said so! You don't have permission to quit! "

Metal Sonic called him out, " I don't care! I'm quitting anyways! You think I _care_ whether I get your approval or not?! You can't control me! I have my own mind! I can make my own decisions whether you approve of them or not! You can't take advantage of me anymore! From now on, I'm fighting _against_ you! "

With that, he flew away at the speed of sound, quickly turning on his boost so that he started moving at Mach 4 away from him. In an instant, he was gone. Eggman growled, and sighed, thinking, " _What am I going to do? He was my most useful robot! What am I going to do without him?_ " not wanting to have to start sending less reliable robots on missions against GUN instead of him. " Alright, Metal Sonic, you want to go rogue so badly? Fine. But you can't survive out there on your own, without a safe place to recharge at night and without any support or companionship, and sooner or later, you're going to come crawling back, " Eggman muttered, before flying in the other direction in his Eggmobile, returning to his base. Little did he know that a reporter who had watched the news had recorded the whole scene on his camera, intrigued by what had happened. That reporter just had the scoop of a lifetime, and by tomorrow at noon, the world would know that Metal Sonic had turned against his master.

Author's Notes: Oh, great, so the website completely UNDID my EDITING. Wonderful. I know for an absolute fact that I went back and edited this months ago to not have the text scrunched up together. WHY did the site change it back? And that goes for all the other chapters with this problem, too. I had my paragraphs done properly, and they still ended up getting that treatment. Ugh. Thank goodness you can still replace chapters after you delete them from your temporary file storage, or I'd be screwed.


	9. Chapter 9

Not much happened between Metal Sonic confronting Eggman and the next morning. He returned home, simply telling Sonic and Tails that he had quit, and they agreed to lock the front door before he slept on the living room couch. The next morning was fairly normal for Sonic and Tails, with Sonic making him and his brother pancakes for breakfast to " celebrate our first morning of having Metal on our side! "

Shortly after breakfast, Tails left to return to building Metal Sonic's new house, and only ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. When Sonic answered it, he was surprised to see Amy and Knuckles at the door. Amy was wearing a pink jacket over her red dress, and it didn't look like she had her hammer with her at all. Amy waved girlishly and said happily, " Hi, Sonic! I decided that in order to celebrate Metal's first morning on the side of good, I'd show him your photo album! You know, take a little trip down memory lane? " and giggled. Knuckles said with his arms crossed, " Yeah, and I'm here to make sure he's not up to anything suspicious, " causing Sonic and Amy to roll their eyes.

As Amy and Knuckles walked into the house, Sonic said cheerfully, " That sounds pretty nice, Amy! But, um… " and whispered so that Metal Sonic couldn't hear it on the couch, " They're not _his_ memories, you know. He won't be in any of the photos. Won't this just remind him that he wasn't always on our side and make him feel like an outsider looking in? " Amy replied cheerfully, " I know he's not in any of the pictures, but there's no harm in showing him photos and filling him in on what he missed! Besides, we'll make _new_ memories, and pretty soon _he'll_ be in it! " not caring that she had just ruined the point of Sonic whispering by making it obvious what he said. Metal Sonic seemed to show no reaction, still reading his book, but he was listening in more than they thought. He hoped that he would be able to appreciate seeing the photos instead of Sonic being right.

Knuckles deadpanned as Amy went to get the photo album, " Really, Amy? You're showing Eggman's deadliest robot Sonic's photo album? I'm pretty sure he doesn't care. " Wanting to prove him wrong without looking overly eager about it, Metal Sonic shrugged and closed the book and said nonchalantly, " I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see what photos are in there. I don't possess much knowledge of what happened here and I have some catching up to do. " Sonic chuckled and said cheerfully, " Well, I'm off for a run! You two have fun! " and ran out of the house in a blue blur.

As Amy brought the photo album into the room with a smile, Knuckles gave him a strange look, a mixture of confusion and annoyance, not only at making him look like he was wrong, but at the way he spoke. He seemed to randomly switch between speaking formally and intelligently like a robot would and talking just like a regular teenager, and didn't even realize he was doing it. In truth, it was because he was originally programmed to talk like Sonic and started speaking formally to look dignified and distinguish himself from him, so the former way of speaking could be considered a little forced. But to Knuckles, it was all the more proof that he was faking and being manipulative, seeing the former as his true manner of speech and the latter as his poor or half-hearted attempt at speaking in a relatable and trustworthy way. Amy sat down beside Metal Sonic with the photo album open and a smile, and Knuckles sighed and reluctantly started watching television with the volume on low on the other end of the couch, giving himself something entertaining to watch while waiting for Metal Sonic to make the wrong move. To his annoyance, nothing of the sort happened, as Amy spent four hours showing Sonic's robot double every photo in the album and elaborating on it with a smile.

While Metal Sonic seemed to have a bored expression as Amy went on and on, it was purely to look aloof, as he was actually quite interested in learning about the significance and history behind every photo. If he was going to be on Sonic's side now, he had to know what Amy was telling him, because at the very least, knowing those things would make him feel like less of an outsider. It did a surprisingly good job of establishing a friendship between them. Amy had never actually had a captive listener for such a long time before, and Metal Sonic's opinion of her improved, noticing that she was a nice and friendly person, with a positive attitude that was, like Sonic's, contagious. She was still clearly infatuated with Sonic, which slightly annoyed him, but she was smart enough to not go on and on about it and instead focus on explaining the photos without gushing about Sonic every chance she got. Metal Sonic had always seen her as quite a brat, focusing on how she threatened even her own friends with her hammer to get her own way, and was so focused on her infatuation that he referred to her exclusively as, " the stalker, " to the point where he forgot her actual name. But she didn't seem too bad from what he was experiencing. He didn't think she was a good friend to Sonic, but she was at least a good friend to him.

Knuckles was watching television in boredom the whole time, watching stand-up comedians because there was nothing else on that interested him. It still didn't feel natural for him to watch TV, after he had spent almost his entire life making exploring Angel Island his main way of dealing with boredom. But since he wasn't interested in Sonic's photo album, he had no other way of passing the time.

By 11:00, he went to the kitchen to get himself some grapes to eat and returned to the couch with his favorite food. Soon after that, Amy finally finished showing Metal Sonic the photo album. She said, " Oh, wait! There's one more left! " confusing the robot, and pulled her camera out of a pocket in her jacket and turned it to face the two of them. She said cheerfully, " Say cheese! " and took a picture of them both, with her looking happy and Metal Sonic looking surprised and confused, and giggled as she put the new picture in the photo album. She said with a sweet smile, " There! Now you're finally in the photo album! What better way to celebrate you joining us? " causing Metal Sonic to smile a little. Even he couldn't help but find it heartwarming.

Amy said cheerfully, " That was fun! So now that _that's_ done, how's about we see how Tails is doing with that home of yours? " Metal Sonic replied with a shrug and a friendly smile, " Sure, why not? " clearly in a better mood. He noticed that Amy spoke a lot like Sonic did, except more girly and ditzy at times. " Follow me, I know the way, " he said, and quickly left the house with Amy following him in a pink blur. She was a lot faster than people gave her credit for, at least since the Perfect Chaos incident, so she easily kept up with Metal Sonic with him only having to fly slightly slower. " Wait! Wait! " Knuckles shouted in a panic as they left in a blue and pink blur. He didn't want to miss out on Metal Sonic saying or doing anything that would prove to him that he wasn't to be trusted! But before he could start running after them, something stopped him.

" We interrupt this _broadcast_ for an _important_ news flash! " a female voice with a British accent said after the TV show he was watching suddenly changed to the news. The reporter, Cindy Coatmen, said, " Breaking news! Just yesterday, I received a video from one of my fellow reporters revealing that Metal Sonic, the most powerful robot of Eggman, has started fighting _against_ him! " Knuckles watched dumbfounded as video footage of Metal Sonic telling off Eggman and quitting on him was shown. He looked less like a robot leaving his master or even a disgruntled employee quitting, and more like a rebellious teenager calling the old man out, and as reluctant as Knuckles was to admit it, it humanized him, or at least made him less intimidating. Metal Sonic made it very clear that he was sick of being treated like a slave.

But the strangest thing of all was the series of events that apparently led to him leaving. Eggman lost his trust because he put one of his friends in danger and made a habit of attacking another one. The only robot he could think of Eggman attacking was Orbot. The idea that Metal Sonic and Orbot were on such good terms was still a strange idea for him to think about. He never would've imagined that Metal Sonic would've been driven to leave Eggman from him mistreating his friends; in fact, he never would've imagined he had friends at all.

But that still didn't convince him to trust that dangerous robot. Knuckles didn't fail to notice the fact that Metal Sonic didn't once call Eggman out on being evil. He called him a narcissist, selfish, and a slaveowner, but he never even implied that he was leaving Eggman for his evil ways. He wasn't turning over a new leaf realizing the error of his ways. It wasn't about right and wrong at all. It was about him getting fed up with him as a person and not wanting to be reprogrammed. He left for personal reasons, not because he turned good. He never even mentioned to Eggman that he was on Sonic's side now, as if that wasn't what he considered important enough to tell him in his rant. Sonic, Tails and Amy would understand that Metal Sonic wasn't mentioning it to avoid giving away that he was staying with Sonic and was protecting them, but Knuckles didn't notice that. He focused on the other implication it had. He said resentfully, thinking out loud, " Well, at least I know he's not a mole for Eggman. But he _hasn't_ turned good. "

Author's Notes: How's that for a longer chapter? Alright, so fans of the Sonic games will know that Amy sort of had a speed boost as the franchise went on. In Sonic Adventure (I love that game), she was ridiculously slow. Not slower than Big the Cat, but definitely slower than Sonic. In fact, if you used a glitch to get Amy into Emerald Coast, she couldn't outrun the whale chasing her down the docks! Then in Sonic Heroes, she was just as fast as Sonic! And that's not even getting into how similar she was to Sonic in SA2's multiplayer and Sonic Advance 2, which foreshadowed her becoming faster in Heroes. I guess as she got older, she got faster, either from chaos energy seeping into her over the years or her discovering her own natural speed from chasing Sonic so much. So it makes perfect sense to me that Amy would be able to keep up with Metal Sonic with him still moving fast enough that he'd be able to fly out of the house in a blue blur before Knuckles could stop him. How fast is Amy in Sonic Runners? Doesn't that mobile game tell you how fast the characters are supposed to be going? Oh, yeah, and the British lady in the news broadcast was a reference to Sonic Adventure 2, you know, in the scene where Eggman psychically knows what she's about to say and says, " The Chaos Emerald?! " at the same time she does? That one. So, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Things are about to get more interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

" It's another _beautiful_ day to _steal_ the Master Emerald! " Rouge said with a smile as she walked out of her house. Suddenly, she heard her cell phone ring, and took it out of her pocket with an annoyed growl before saying with false cheer, " Hello? " It was a call from the GUN Commander, and the message she was given shocked her. She gasped and exclaimed, " What?!... How am I supposed to find him? We don't have a tracking device in him or anything like that! Not even Eggman does!... Okay, fine. One last mission before my break! I won't let you down! "  
She sighed, and said, " Guess a fight with that echidna will have to wait, " and started flying to the Mystic Ruins. She had been told that the ruins would be a likely location for Metal Sonic to go to after going rogue, because he might have gone there to fight with Sonic or find him for some other reason.

It didn't take very long at all for Rouge to reach the Mystic Ruins, and when she did, she gasped at what she saw. Metal Sonic was indeed headed for Sonic's house, but Amy was there with him. And instead of looking worried, she was happy, acting like the two of them were friends. Rouge looked confused before saying with an amused smile, " This should be interesting, " and landed in front of Sonic's front door to wait for them. Sure enough, they ended up running towards her and stopping with shocked looks.

" Rouge?! " Amy exclaimed, wondering what she was doing there. Metal Sonic was confused about who the female bat in front of him was. He couldn't remember people very well ever since he slammed into an electrified wall, especially not people that he barely ever saw. So while the white bat Mobian wearing blue eye shadow looked vaguely familiar, he didn't recognize her. But he didn't want to let anyone find that out and think he had a faulty memory, so he simply crossed his arms and looked aloof to hide his confusion. Amy asked, " What are you doing here? Let me guess, you went to Angel Island to steal the Master Emerald and were disappointed that Knuckles wasn't there to fight you, so you came here to find him, right? "

Rouge was surprised by the knowledge that she would've wasted her time coming to Angel Island, but simply kept her cool by continuing to smile in amusement and explained, " Actually, no. I'm here because my employer at GUN wanted me to find Metal Sonic and get him on the phone with him. "

Metal Sonic, still with his arms crossed, looked irritated as he rolled his eyes with a sigh and said bitterly, " Let me guess, the message is that, oh, we've heard you've gone rogue and we assume you're a menace, so we're gonna send armies of robots after you from now on. Well, you don't have to waste my time because I already know. Let's go, Amy. " Rouge exclaimed nervously, " Wait! That's not what the message is about! " not wanting to fail her mission because he was being uncooperative. Metal Sonic was about to walk into the house, but stopped from what she said, and turned around with a confused and suspicious look on his face.

Rouge sighed in exasperation, relieved that he didn't go inside and frustrated at how untrusting and negative he was being. He was reminding her of Shadow. " Just take the call! Please? I've just got one last mission before my break and I won't stop until I complete it! " she said in exasperation, and pressed the Call Back button on her phone.

Metal Sonic reluctantly let her hand him the phone, figuring that she wouldn't stop bothering him with it until he humored her, feeling a little sorry for her, and being curious about what the message was. " Fine, " he said in irritation, and upon hearing the GUN Commander's voice, he said, " Yeah, this is Metal Sonic. What do you want? "

The GUN Commander said with a surprisingly friendly tone, " This is the GUN Commander here. We've found out that you've decided to leave Eggman, and personally, I couldn't be happier. You made the right decision by deciding to fight against him! I- " Metal Sonic looked surprised and questioned in annoyance, " Wait a minute, how did you find out that I was fighting against him? "

Wanting to get his trust by telling him the truth, he explained, " You didn't see? It's all over the news! There was a broadcast today that showed video footage of you standing up to Eggman and quitting! I heard everything you said, and believe it or not, I'm your side. I wouldn't want to be treated like a slave, either. " Metal Sonic was shocked that his quitting on Eggman had made it on the news, and suddenly felt very self-conscious about what exactly he had said to Eggman. He hoped that him sounding like a rebellious teenager didn't discredit or diminish his message and make people lose respect for him, and couldn't hide the fact that he was embarrassed. He had intended to tell him off in private.

The GUN Commander continued, " I'd like to offer you a job. I know you're more than powerful enough to fight Eggman alone, but wouldn't it be helpful to have someone supporting you? Who would repair you if you became damaged while you were fighting him alone? It's going to happen sooner or later. And GUN has highly skilled engineers that could give you those repairs, and we have more than enough information on you to do it. "

" Why should I trust you? " Metal Sonic questioned suspiciously, not being nearly as shocked as Rouge expected at being offered a job. " I know we've been enemies in the past, but we can put all that behind us. It's water under the bridge! You'll more than make up for it by giving us your services, " the GUN Commander replied.

" The answer is no, " Metal Sonic stated. " Why not? " the GUN Commander asked. Metal Sonic replied bitterly, " I never trusted you. You don't think I've been told about your corruption? You don't think Eggman's told me about what happened 50 years ago? I know you're supposed to have changed a little since then, but I still think you're corrupt. Didn't I hear a rumor somewhere that you hired some jewel thief and even let her steal all she wanted without prosecution just because you wanted to take advantage of her skills? If that's not corrupt, nothing is, " making Rouge look sheepish as Amy gave her a disapproving look with her arms crossed, and Metal Sonic continued with calm resentment,

" And why would you trust me? You don't know my personality or my values or my standards or who I care about, you think I'm just a killing machine. Why _wouldn't_ this be a trap? And even if it isn't, even if you're genuinely trying to offer me a job, why should I believe that it's a job and not just me working as another one of your robots? I left Eggman for a reason, and slavery is one of them. Why should I believe that you will acknowledge me as a person and treat me as such instead of acting like I'm your property? I didn't leave Eggman just to get a more oppressive master. As intolerable as he was, at least he treated me with favoritism. With you, I wouldn't even get that! So even if I did agree to work for GUN, it would be on the condition that I was treated equally to your employees and given citizenship that acknowledged me as a person, and I know you'd never do that. You're just trying to take advantage of the fact that Eggman's most powerful robot has left him. " Amy listened to him in sympathy, and even Rouge couldn't help but feel a little pity. He was definitely reminding her of Shadow, who was also very reluctant to trust GUN enough to join them after his history with them.

" I know you don't want to be treated like a slave. If you want a paycheck and recognition as a citizen of the United Federation, that's just what I'll give you. I promise that you can trust us, " the GUN Commander said with sincerity, having listened to what he said. After a brief stunned silence, Metal Sonic replied, 

" But you'll only give me recognition as a person if I give you what you want. Isn't that right? You're taking advantage of me. I bet even if I helped save the world, you still wouldn't allow me to have basic human rights. Look, if I wanted to join GUN, I would've done so a long time ago. Working for you isn't what I want. I've found a better side to work on, with a better mechanic, and that's where I'll be from now on. My loyalty is to Sonic. I'm not going to betray him by leaving him for you. " He didn't want word to get out that he was on Sonic's side before he had helped him foil one of Eggman's big plans and proved himself as trustworthy already, but since Rouge had already seen him with Amy, he figured he might as well not try to hide it anymore.

" That's an admirable attitude, Metal Sonic. If you're genuinely going to help Sonic the Hedgehog and be loyal to him from now on, I commend you. I won't stand in your way. As for that citizenship, how about I give it to you as a reward for saving the world? After all, you still have yet to prove yourself. I can't give it to you right away. But if you prove that you are sincere in becoming one of the heroes, you have my word that GUN will give you the citizenship you deserve, " the GUN Commander replied with a proud smile.

Metal Sonic was stunned for a second by how reasonable and respectful he was being. He certainly wasn't expecting that. " W-Well, thank you. Now d-don't take this the wrong way! I'm not _against_ your side just because I'm not joining it! As little as I trust GUN, I wouldn't go out of my way to inconvenience it of my own accord. It wouldn't actually solve the problem of corruption, so it would be pointless. But if one of your mechs tries to attack me, I _will_ defend myself. Don't expect me not to, " he replied, shyly thanking him before trying to act just as annoyed as before to save face. Rouge couldn't help but smile in amusement at that. He was so transparent.

" I'll have the engineers at GUN send a radio wave reprogramming our mechs to regard you as not a target. I wish you good luck on the side of good. Oh, pass the phone back to Rouge for me, will you? " Metal Sonic handed the phone back to her nonchalantly, and she smiled as the GUN Commander told her that her mission was completed. Rouge said cheerfully, " Well, my work is done! Good luck! " Metal Sonic simply walked towards the door to Sonic's house and opened it, not replying to her, and she rolled her eyes at how aloof she was being. She thought, " _Wow, the intelligence reports were right. He really is like Shadow…_ " Rouge followed him and Amy inside, knowing that Knuckles was in there.

" Guys! Did you see the news?! Met- " Knuckles exclaimed frantically, impatient from waiting for them to get back. " We know, we know! Guess who told us, " Metal Sonic replied in irritation and pointed his thumb back at Rouge, causing Knuckles to finally notice Rouge standing there with an amused smile. " Rouge?! What are you doing here?! " he shouted. Rouge giggled and said in a playful teasing way, " If you don't want me to steal your emerald, then you'd better get there before I do! " and flew out of the house, causing Knuckles to growl and run after her out of the house.

" Glad he's gone, " Metal Sonic muttered with his arms crossed after shutting the door. Amy hadn't failed to notice how sarcastic and grumpy he had acted recently. He wondered if this was his true self or if he was just in a bad mood. But instead of pointing it out, Amy was smart enough to keep it to herself and continue being nice and friendly as usual. After all, she still saw the good in him, and she knew that if he didn't feel like he was allowed to get irritated front of her, he'd feel less comfortable around her and their friendship wouldn't be as stable. She had to let him be his sarcastic self every once in a while, even though she preferred when he was polite. 

" So what exactly happened there? " Amy asked as Metal Sonic walked over to the couch and sat down on it. " GUN offered me a job, I turned them down, and the GUN Commander said he would support me in working for Sonic and would tell his mechs to stop shooting at me. It's a start, I suppose, " Metal Sonic explained nonchalantly, choosing to leave out the part where he was offered citizenship as a potential reward for saving the world with Sonic. He didn't want Amy or anyone else to think that he was only helping Sonic to get recognized as a person by the government, and the last thing he needed was more reason to not be trusted. He tended to keep people on a need-to-know basis, and right know, he decided that Amy didn't need to know.

" That's great! " Amy said happily, jumping for joy with her hands clasped together. " GUN likes you now! That's fabulous! That's fantastic! This'll make it a lot easier! So now you can go to Station Square because you're not public enemy number one anymore! "

There was a silence as Metal Sonic looked away sadly, still with his arms crossed. " Right? " Amy asked, looking worried. Metal Sonic sighed, and explained unhappily, " Just because GUN trusts me now, doesn't mean that the rest of the world will. Whether they support me or not, the fact remains that the instant I walk into civilization, a panic will be started and the police will be called. My very presence causes mass hysteria, whether I'm doing anything destructive or not. I have a reputation that isn't simply going to go away just because GUN trusts me. I bet even if people find out that I saved the world with Sonic, they still wouldn't trust me. They'd think I was just manipulating him for my own gain and be uncomfortable around me. They'd think I'm just a heartless killing machine, just because I'm a robot. Hell, I bet the only way they'd ever trust me is if they think Tails reprogrammed me. It just isn't fair! I- Huh? " Amy hugged him to comfort him, and after a second of being shown such compassion, he returned the hug, looking sad at how rare such kindness was and smiling a little in appreciation from it.

After three seconds, Amy ended the hug and said with an encouraging smile, " Of course the world will trust you! It won't happen right away, but it will! Just look at Omega! He's a strong robot of Eggman's and the world doesn't hate him! He's doing just fine! I promise that one day you'll be recognized as a hero just like Sonic and Tails are. It won't happen right away, but give it time, and it will. And then you'll be able to go to Station Square and go sight-seeing without being given any problems! Just you wait! " She giggled, causing the previously worried-looking robot to smile a little at the hope she was providing him. She didn't fail to notice how he returned her hug, when Sonic barely ever did. It was easy for her to figure out that he appreciated the gesture so readily because of how rare it was for him to get it, and that being so hated and feared the world over would make you more than a little lonely. Unlike Sonic, he'd appreciate compassion and affection from anyone, as embarrassed as he would be to admit it. Amy saw him as someone she could relate to from that one fact alone. She, too, appreciated affection and kindness and longed for it. It looked like the two of them would be great friends after all. Metal Sonic had his doubts because he had heard what a short-tempered stalker she was, but as long as she was nice to him, he was able to shrug that off and look past it, or at least not complain about it in front of her.

" Well, it's about time I get home. Cream said that she's gonna go dress shopping with me by 1:00 today and I don't wanna be late, " Amy said cheerfully. " I- Wait, _huh?_ " Metal Sonic couldn't hide how confused and bewildered he was at hearing that Amy was going shopping with an edible food product and calling it a she, but before he could say anything and reveal to her that he didn't know Cream's name or even remember who she was, Amy had already left, running out of the house in a pink blur.

As Amy ran out of the house, she noticed a blue blur speeding towards it, and jumped, successfully jumping into Sonic's arms and tackling him to the ground in a hug. " Whoa! Amy! " Sonic exclaimed in surprise, and she quickly let go and stood up happily. She said with excitement, " Sonic, you're never gonna believe this! Rouge showed up and said that the GUN Commander wanted to talk on the phone with Metal because he heard that he had left Eggman, and he offered him a job, but he turned it down because he wanted to stay with you! " Sonic replied, " Really? " quickly being distracted from his reaction to Amy's glomping him.

" Yep! He literally said, ' My loyalty is to Sonic! ' Isn't that sweet?! He really _has_ changed! And the GUN Commander was nice enough to support him and tell his robots to stop attacking him on sight! So you don't have to worry about GUN going after him after all! Isn't that great?! " Amy said happily, full of excitement. Sonic grinned at hearing the good news, and said, " It sure is! I guess I was right! GUN really would forgive him. And I didn't even have to go talk to them myself! Things keep looking better and better! " and ran into the house in a blue blur to congratulate him as Amy started running home.

Author's Notes: I don't think it's too out of character for the GUN Commander to be reasonable at times. I think that as stubborn and vindictive as the GUN Commander was in Shadow the Hedgehog, he was only like that when it came to his childhood grudge against Shadow. Obviously that got resolved after that game, because Shadow was hired to work with GUN, although unfortunately we never see him working for GUN in any game besides 06, even though that would be really interesting. I wish GUN appeared again in a Sonic game, working with Sonic and his friends against Eggman or a new threat or both. It would at least give them an excuse to bring Shadow, Rouge and Omega back into relevance. As bad as 06's story was, I at least loved the fact that we saw Team Dark on a government mission together, and I hope we see that again. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as usual, there will be another one tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

After Sonic had congratulated Metal Sonic on making peace with GUN, the two of them were surprised by the doorbell ringing. When Sonic opened the door, Knuckles seemed to be there, but he had a great big smile and a certain twinkle in his eyes that made it clear to Metal Sonic who he really was. He waved and said cheerfully, " Oh, hi, Sonic! Could I talk to Metal for a sec? " As Sonic looked back at him in confusion, Metal Sonic smiled and agreed, " Certainly. If you'll just allow us to use the basement for a while… " Sonic asked, " What's going on? " noticing that Knuckles wasn't acting at all like his normal self. He never smiled that much, especially not like that.

Metal Sonic explained, " Remember when I told you that Metal Knuckles can disguise himself as Knuckles to go into civilization without being treated horribly? This is him. " Sonic looked at him, and the android waved again with a nervous smile, clearly terrified of him from all the robots he had destroyed. " N-Nice to meet you! Heh heh! " he said nervously, and held out his hand. To his relief, Sonic smiled at him and shook his hand, saying, " It's nice to meet you, too! You're a lot nicer than Knuckles is. But don't tell him I told you that. He'd probably get jealous. " Relieved that Sonic didn't hate him for impersonating Knuckles out of necessity, Metal Knuckles cheered up and said, " I'm Metal Knuckles, but my friends call me MK! They call me Knux, too, but apparently that nickname's already taken. "

Sonic said, " Well, it's good to see you, MK! You guys can talk in the basement if you want. " Relieved that the meeting had gone over well, the two of them went into the basement and closed the door behind them. Metal Sonic asked with a serious expression, " So, you followed our contingency plan? " MK nodded and said, " That's right! I asked Orbot to put me in the disguise from now on and he said yes! I also made sure that Cubot knew how to do it, too, just in case! " Metal Sonic replied, " Good, " relieved that he at least would be able to continue seeing one of his comrades every day.

MK said happily, " It's great that you're finally on Sonic's side! Now you don't have to work for Eggman anymore and get to have a better reputation in the world! Sonic and you are buddies, you get some new friends, and you can start being one of the heroes! Me, Orbot and Cubot are gonna miss having you around, but we support you 100%! We're just glad you could finally stand up to Eggman and have a better life. " Metal Sonic replied, " That's a relief. So, are you aware of where my new home is going to be? " After that, he proceeded to tell him that Tails was building him an underground home south of the mountain in the Mystic Ruins, and gave him the exact coordinates.

" And then when I wanna visit you, I'll just do the secret knock and we can hang out! " Metal Knuckles replied cheerfully. " Exactly. Hold on, there's something I need to give you, " Metal Sonic said, and took the yellow and green plastic bracelet out of his suitcase before handing it to him. His younger brother figure gasped happily and exclaimed, " A friendship bracelet! Thanks, Metal! " and put it on his left wrist. " Something like that, " Metal Sonic replied nervously, still shy about showing that he cared about him. " I know how much this bracelet means to you, and I'll take good care of it! " MK said.

Metal Sonic instructed him, " Always wear that bracelet when you're visiting me. Remember that, Knux, " and he nodded in reply. The main intention of the bracelet was to give him something to instantly distinguish him from Knuckles on one look so that Knuckles couldn't imitate his happy attitude and potentially trick him. Metal Sonic was certain that he'd never actually fall for it after years of knowing him and could simply ask him a question to verify his identity, but you could never be too prepared, and he wanted to speed up the identification process to a simple glance instead of asking him a question and risking upsetting Metal Knuckles with the idea that he couldn't tell it was him.

Metal Knuckles asked cheerfully, " So how are things going so far? " wanting to get as much of an update on his new situation as he could. Metal Sonic explained, with a slight smile and having trouble keeping his formality, " Surprisingly well, actually. Sonic and Tails are glad to have me around, and even Amy was happy to accept me on her side. She turned out to be quite nice, actually, at least to me, anyways. I never thought I'd say this, but she might make a good friend. Just a few hours ago, she showed me everything in Sonic's photo album and elaborated on every photo to fill me in on what I missed. Of course, Knuckles doesn't trust me at all, but that was expected, and I really couldn't care less what _he_ thinks of me. Especially since nobody seems to be believing him, anyways. On the way home from checking on Tails' progress, I was approached by this bat girl who works for the government named Rouge, who told me that the leader of GUN wanted me on the phone, and the GUN Commander offered me a job. Obviously I turned him down, but the surprising thing was, after I said no and completely explained why, he actually said that he would support me on working for Sonic, and would even tell his robots to cease attacking me! "

Metal Knuckles knew who Rouge was from remembering what Eggman had told him, and Metal Sonic had met Rouge multiple times before, but he didn't want to make him feel ashamed by reminding him that he already knew who Rouge was, so he kept quiet instead of filling him in on her identity. He was overjoyed at discovering how well things were going for him. " That's fantastic! So things are going great! You're being accepted and congratulated and trusted so easily! " he exclaimed in excitement. But for some reason, Metal Sonic wasn't happy. He looked worried, and suspicious.

" _Too_ easily… I know that this is what the universe always wanted. One of the major reasons I suffered through all the misfortune I did was because I was working on Eggman's side and the universe didn't approve of that. Now that I'm working for Sonic, the universe's _favorite_ person, it's only logical that my luck should improve. But it feels too easy… All my life, every fortune I've had, has been met with misfortune. It gets my hopes up just to make them come crashing down! And logically, I should know that the situation has ended, but I just can't help but feel like the universe is giving me false hope, that this is only a temporary fortune, that I haven't done enough to earn it, that if I make one wrong move, the entire thing will come crashing down and I'll lose everything! I've never had this much good luck before, and it's never a good sign. I haven't even done anything to earn it yet in the universe's eyes! All I did was join Sonic the Hedgehog after the _idiot_ drove me away with his _selfishness,_ and suddenly I get one good thing after another happening to me with nearly everyone seeming to accept me and like me, with the only hardship of the transition being adjusting to a new situation! It feels too easy, like I haven't earned it yet, as if fate is expecting me to do something and if I don't do it, everything will be taken away! " Metal Sonic explained very nervously, displaying the paranoid pessimism that he was known for. When Sonic got lucky, he was happy about it. When Metal got lucky, he became suspicious of it.

Looking sympathetic and feeling concerned, Metal Knuckles asked, " So what are you gonna do? " With a serious expression of dedication, Metal Sonic told him, " If the universe thinks I haven't earned this yet, then I'll do everything in my power to earn it. I don't believe I could be a _good_ friend to Sonic, since we're almost complete opposites who don't agree on everything or share the same amount of passion for certain things, and it's difficult for me to look like I've gone soft, but I can at the very least be loyal. I'll stand by him no matter what and try as hard as I possibly can to follow his every instruction, even if I have my doubts. I'll prove that I should be trusted. I won't let him down. I won't go as far as to spend every waking hour proving myself, but if I have a chance to do it, I won't let it pass by. And I won't insult Sonic or contradict him, at least not when he can hear it, because the last thing I want is to fall out of his favor and risk losing him. I could never be as good an ally to him as Tails, but I'll at least be a better one than _Knuckles._ I'm on his side now, and I'm not letting that slip away from me! " 

Metal Knuckles smiled as he said that to him. Metal Sonic was going to dedicate himself to being an incredibly loyal, obedient, trustworthy, polite and reliable friend, and make sure that the universe would recognize him as a hero. He wasn't actually passionate about being a hero and doing the right thing like Sonic always was, but he was going to try, whether Eggman had programmed him to be apathetic about it or not. He knew that the chances of him and Sonic getting along so well most of the time were slim because they were complete opposites, with Sonic being carefree and optimistic and him being cautious and pessimistic, Sonic being idealistic and Metal being bitterly cynical, but he was going to try to be at least polite to him, keeping his insults and disagreement to himself and making himself known for his loyalty. He hoped that if he followed through on that promise to himself, he wouldn't lose what was now the most important thing in his life, his permanent alliance with Sonic. If he lost Sonic's trust, he could lose his home and the support of everyone besides his comrades, which would result in him having the life on the run that he had always feared. He needed Sonic's trust, and he was going to keep it.


	12. Chapter 12

By the end of the day, Tails had finally finished building Metal Sonic's new home. Just before Sonic was going to leave the house to tell him that dinner would be ready soon, Tails rushed in and said happily, " It's done, it's done, I've built his house! " getting Metal Sonic's attention immediately. He closed his book and followed Tails as he flew out of the house and all the way to the location of his new home.

After a couple minutes, they reached the middle of a treeless area in the forest, and a door suddenly appeared in the ground, with its doorknob facing the sky. Tails explained excitedly, " The door gets hidden by the cloaking device until it senses that you, Sonic, Knuckles or me has shown up, and it'll return to being disguised as grass after someone goes into the house. It's even better than a key, because no one can steal it! The cloaking device is powered by solar power that it stores as a back-up source of energy to use during the night, taking far more energy than it needs for extra energy to be stored for later. " He opened the door, and they walked down the stairs and into the house, with Metal Sonic closing the door behind and above him.

The motion detectors sensed the presence of people in the room and the lights turned on immediately. The home looked just like an underground bunker bomb shelter with a bed and consisted of only one room, just like he had wanted. As Tails explained in his childish excitement, the gray walls of the home were made of a special metal alloy that was indestructible and resistant to fire, water, acid, and more. Tails naturally went into great detail about how he built the house as Metal Sonic listened and looked around. The bed didn't have blankets, a pillow or mattress on it quite yet, but it was a bed all the same, made of metal instead of wood. Beside the bed was a light switch on the wall, and there was a metal bookshelf in the room along with a closet. The home would have indoor heating and air conditioning depending on what was needed, not for his sake as he didn't need it, but for the sake of any organic beings that would come in. The source of the heating and air conditioning was in the basement of the home, accessed by another staircase below a door just in case Tails needed to fix it.

" I-It's not quite ready for you yet because the bed isn't ready to sleep in, but by tomorrow it will be! So, do you like it? " Tails said cheerfully with a bit of nervousness. Metal Sonic smiled, and said, " Excellent work! It's exactly what I need. Good job, kiddo. " Tails giggled, and the two of them quickly left the house and returned to Sonic and Tails' house for the night.

The next morning, Knuckles showed up at the house, suspicious as ever. He told Sonic with his arms crossed, " I wanna have a talk with that machine about what he has in his suitcase, " causing Metal Sonic to roll his eyes and reply in annoyance, " I'm _not_ a machine, I'm a _robot._ It's _different._ " Sonic let Knuckles with a concerned expression as Knuckles dismissively said, " Yeah, yeah, yeah, same thing up on my island. Let's just cut to the chase. What are you hiding? "  
Sonic hoped that a fight wouldn't start and said nervously, " Metal, want me to take care of this? "

Surprisingly, Metal Sonic deadpanned, " No, I'm used to it. Let's just get this over with. " Not only was he used to suspicion, he was used to being called just a machine, as well. It irritated him, but he had accepted over time that there was nothing he could do about it. Sonic shrugged and returned to the kitchen to have his breakfast with Tails as Knuckles walked over to Metal Sonic, who was opening his suitcase for him, preparing to answer some tough questions.

In the suitcase were two thick hardcover books. Knuckles realized that something was missing and questioned angrily, " Sonic told me there was a bracelet in here, and that it looked like a child would wear it. Where did you get it? " For the first time, he saw Metal Sonic act embarrassed. It was an unusual sight, to say the least, mainly because he was still getting used to the revelation that his black eyes, rather than being fixed in a permanent glare, would slant in different ways to express emotion. He said nervously with his eyes looking everywhere but at him, " Why do you need to know? " Knuckles said resentfully, " You obviously stole it from a child. "

Metal Sonic sighed while rolling his eyes and answered, " If I told you why I had it, you'd never believe me. " Knuckles was surprised at someone implying that they didn't think he was gullible for the first time in his life, but simply crossed his arms after briefly looking surprised and said resentfully, " Try me. "

Metal Sonic replied in annoyance, " Why bother? You won't believe me and I don't want to tell you. You'll probably find out on your own anyways, just not from me. " Knuckles groaned, and said angrily, " Fine. What about these books? Let me guess, you took them from Eggman's library, right? Let me see, " and he took one of the books and opened it up to look at the very beginning of it, with Metal Sonic gasping and looking panicked that Knuckles would damage it.

" Station Square Library? " Knuckles said resentfully, glaring at him from what he read just before the first page. That wasn't too surprising, as he had suspected already that Metal Sonic had stolen it. But when he read even further, he had an even greater surprise.

" Wait, this says that I checked it out. H-How, what?!... You have some explaining to do! " Knuckles said, shocked and confused at first and getting angry again at the end of it. Metal Sonic explained while trying to look as nonchalant as possible, " Remember how Sonic told you that one of the robots SWORD imprisoned with Eggman was one called Metal Knuckles? Well, recently after building him, the idiot scientist designed a Knuckles Android body for him with artificial skin and fur and even red colored oil so that he could look like an exact replica of you. He barely actually used it for anything himself, since Metal Knuckles doesn't get sent on missions, he's more Eggman's emotional support, but I knew how useful it could be. So I gave Metal Knuckles some unauthorized ' missions ' as the highest ranking robot where he would go to the library of Station Square disguised as you to check out various books for me. The books in Eggman's base weren't a satisfactory option because the books in his library were restricted by a propaganda filter of his. "

Shocked and panicked, Knuckles stammered angrily, " W-Wait, so, let me get this straight. You sent a robot that was _impersonating_ me, into Station Square? The city I pass through the most?! " Continuing to act nonchalant and keep his cool, Metal Sonic said casually, " Yeah. It's not a big deal, all he did was get me books. He's gone there hundreds of times. He loves that city! Says that it's full of wonders and excitement and he loves getting to experience the world outside the base! I don't know what you're so worked up about. He didn't do anything to deface your reputation. Hell, if anything, he improved it by being such a nice guy! And you have to understand that him impersonating you was necessary. There's no way in hell that they'd let someone who was very clearly a robot even _enter_ the library, let alone check out books. Robots don't exactly have rights! Just going into a city alone would be very dangerous for him and upsetting for him if he didn't have that disguise, not to mention that his idiot boss would be guaranteed to find out about it. I wanted some books that would entertain and distract me and give me the information I was interested in and the library in home base didn't cut it. It's no big deal. "

Still stammering, Knuckles said, " But, I, I… I don't even have a library card! " Metal Sonic deadpanned with subdued amusement, " You do now. You've had one for five years, Knuckles. It's really not that big a deal. " Knuckles complained, " Of course it's a big deal! I'm supposed to be a tough guy, I wouldn't be caught dead checking out library books! And you're expecting me to be okay with this imposter impersonating me and going around being all nice to everybody and making me look like a softie? How would _you_ feel?! " Metal Sonic shrugged apathetically and said, " It's not happening to me, so I wouldn't know and I couldn't care less. "

Knuckles growled at Metal Sonic's apparent lack of empathy, and said resentfully, " Where _is_ this library, anyway? " Metal Sonic crossed his arms and told him seriously, " You don't need to know. I've already informed Sonic of this and he supports it completely. You are _not_ going there and trying to ruin it for my brother by removing his excuse to enjoy the outside world. If I find out you caused _any_ trouble for him like an outright _evil twin,_ I'll go straight to Sonic, and you'll have to answer to him. "

Knuckles was about to argue some more, only for something he had said to hit him like a brick wall. " Brother? " he said in shock, speaking quieter than usual. " I-I mean, my comrade, " Metal stammered with embarrassment at not being careful enough in his wording, while closing up his suitcase and standing up. Knuckles couldn't believe it. Metal Sonic thought of someone as his brother, as family. He didn't believe Sonic at first when he told him about it, but now that he had heard Metal Sonic say it in a slip-up and deny it afterwards, now that he had found out it was true, he started to wonder if Metal Sonic genuinely did have a soft side. Maybe he wasn't just being manipulating. Of course, Knuckles didn't want to risk making a mistake by trusting Eggman's most dangerous robot too easily, so he refused to stop being suspicious of him and keeping an eye on him, but he couldn't help but start to wonder if Sonic was right about him.

Knuckles scoffed and said, " I heard what you said. You called him your brother. Don't you lie to me. " Metal Sonic said nervously while trying to keep his dignity, " I'm not! He _is_ my comrade! " Knuckles questioned while knowing the truth, " So you're saying he's just a friend to you, even though you just called him your brother in a slip-up? " Metal Sonic looked embarrassed again and insisted angrily, " _No,_ I'm Eggman's most _powerful_ robot, I don't have, _friends,_ I have, comrades. There's a difference. " Knuckles crossed his arms and asked doubtfully, " What's the difference? "

Metal Sonic explained, " A comrade is a part of your team who works alongside you in common goals and you help each other out and support each other. You understand each other very well and focus on each other's good qualities above the flaws, " with his arms crossed and looking away from him trying to look dignified. " So, a friend? " Knuckles replied with a cocked eyebrow. Feeling defeated in his own argument, Metal Sonic said, " I-It's like a friend, but, more dignified. "

Knuckles questioned in annoyance, " So you expect me to believe that _I'm_ your friend? " No longer nervous, Metal Sonic looked annoyed and immediately said resentfully, " No. " Knuckles was surprised. He was expecting him to lie, not be bluntly honest. " You're just gonna admit it? " he said in confusion. Metal Sonic replied calmly, " I never once tried to pretend that I thought of you as a friend. I don't like you, and you don't like me. Hell, I can barely stand you sometimes! In fact, out of all of Sonic's allies, you're the only one of them that I've ever hated. Tails I always respected, Amy I've warmed up to, but you? Whatever, " and rolled his eyes.

Knuckles wasn't expecting him to be so honest, especially with barely any hesitation. He already suspected most of what he was telling him, except for the last part, but the fact that he was so blunt and upfront about it took him by surprise. " And you expect me to trust you after you outright admitted you hate me? " Knuckles said. Metal Sonic replied, " At least I'm honest about it. Eggman would've put on an act and lied about it. I have no qualms about admitting it, " and even Knuckles couldn't help but admit to himself that he had a point.

He shrugged, and said nonchalantly while picking up his suitcase and bringing it to the basement, " And just because we hate each other doesn't mean you have no reason to trust me. Whether I resent you as a person or not, we're still on the same side, and I have a duty to be loyal to you. I'm not gonna hurt you or anything from the sheer fact that we're allies, although I _don't_ expect the _same_ from _you._ " He opened the door to the basement, placed his suitcase back next to his sleeping bag in there, and left it as Knuckles listened to what he had to say in stunned silence.

Before Knuckles could say anything else, Sonic and Tails went into the room having finished their breakfast and Sonic said with a nervous smile, " Hey, Knuckles, it's about time you went back to guarding the Master Emerald, isn't it? Didn't Rouge almost steal it last time because you weren't there? " Knuckles said resentfully, " Why are you trying to get rid of me? " seeing right through it.

Tails answered for him unhappily, " Because you're just bothering him, Knuckles. Adjusting to being on a new side is hard enough for him as it is! Can't you just be supportive and make it easier for him? " Knuckles sighed while shaking his head. He still didn't entirely trust that robot. " _One_ of us has to keep an eye on him. You never know what he could be up to! I'm just being careful, " he replied. Trying to ease the tension, Sonic chuckled and pointed out lightheartedly, " Metal likes being careful, too. You have more in common with him than you think, Knux. Maybe if you focused on your similarities with him, you'd get along better! "

Metal Sonic and Knuckles both became annoyed and offended at being compared to each other and looked away from each other with their arms crossed, and Tails said nervously, " Anyways, Sonic and I are going shopping for a mattress and blankets and stuff for him. We'll be back soon, " and left the house with Sonic, wanting to be away from all the tension. Knuckles turned around to glare at Metal Sonic, only to see the basement door close and lock behind him. All he wanted to do was spend some time reading without anyone bothering him. Knuckles growled, and went to the living room to watch some TV, not wanting to leave Metal Sonic alone in the house.


	13. Chapter 13

Hours passed by as Sonic and Tails went shopping for the blankets, mattress and pillow for Metal Sonic's new bed and then started returning home after they were sent to be delivered as quickly as possible to their house. They were already on their way home by the time Metal Knuckles had entered it for his visit. When Knuckles heard the front door suddenly open, he immediately became alert and looked in the direction of the door, only to gasp at seeing an exact replica of himself. He ran up to him in a red blur and was soon standing in front of him antagonistically, examining his impersonator. Metal Knuckles had a cheery, seemingly ditzy and airheaded smile as he had entered the house, but upon seeing him, his smile became forced and nervous, with him clearly being intimidated by him. The only difference he could see in his appearance, was that he was wearing a yellow and green bracelet.

" Oh, uh, hi, Knuckles! " Metal Knuckles said with a nervous smile, trying to remain friendly even in the face of a potential fight. He never liked his organic counterpart, seeing him as too short-tempered and rude and being glad that he was so different from him, but that didn't mean he was going to be honest about it. He was nice to everybody, no matter what, both because he believed it was the right way to act and because he could personally benefit from it. Not trusting his friendliness, Knuckles questioned, " Where did that bracelet come from? Where did Metal Sonic get it?! "

Going from nervous to happy again, Metal Knuckles smiled and said cheerfully, " Oh, this? A little girl gave it to him as a gift for saving her life! " Knuckles was dumbfounded. He wasn't expecting that answer, and if it was a lie, it was a very skillfully told one. " Um, _what?_ " he replied, confused about why Metal Sonic would ever do such a compassionate thing.

Back to his old self, Metal Knuckles explained nonchalantly, " Well, he was on his way home from a mission when he saw this telephone tower get struck by lightning and fall over, and it was just about to fall on this little girl who had tripped, so he stood behind her and used his Black Shield to deflect the falling tower and make it fall the other way! She found out what happened and was so grateful that she gave him her bracelet as a reward! I guess he kept it for its sentimental value, you know, he's embarrassed of doing nice things, but he's also sort of proud. "

After that, the basement door opened and Metal Sonic left it, having heard the entire conversation. Dumbfounded by what he had learned, Knuckles asked, " Metal Sonic, is this true? " 

Embarrassed at having a soft side and not wanting to admit it, he crossed his arms and stood in front of Metal Knuckles while saying, " Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Leave him alone! " showing a protective side to him. Metal Knuckles smiled and said, " Hi, Metal! How's it going? " Still annoyed with Knuckles, he replied, " We'll talk in the basement, come on, " and the two of them went into the basement, with Metal Sonic closing and locking the door behind him.

Knuckles couldn't believe what he had just found out, shocked and confused at the revelation that Metal Sonic would occasionally do heroic things just on impulse. He had been told that his mind was based on Sonic's, but he didn't know that it ran that deep. He was still dedicated to keeping an eye on him to make sure he wouldn't betray the team, since he figured that he hadn't proven himself quite yet and somebody had to watch him. But there was doubt in his mind more than ever that Metal Sonic was as evil as he had thought.

Author's Notes: Another short chapter, I know. By the way, I've finished my profile, go ahead and check it out.


	14. Chapter 14

It only took a few hours for the package containing the mattress for Metal Sonic's new bed to be delivered. This made sense considering that Sonic and Tails were the heroes of the world and would naturally be given high-speed deliveries. Tails used a shrink ray on the package to easily carry it to Metal Sonic's new home, returned it to its original size, and Sonic helped him remove it from the package and place it on the bed. After that, it was a simple matter of making a quick trip home to get the blankets and pillow that they had recently bought and bringing them back to the bed, and their work was done.

Correctly assuming that Metal Sonic was in the basement, Tails knocked on the door and said happily, " Your bed's ready! Come see! " Metal Sonic quickly left the basement, with Metal Knuckles following behind him eagerly. When Tails saw him, he was briefly confused at seeing two Knuckles in the house before Metal Knuckles introduced himself, saying, " Hi, Tails! Nice to meet you! I'm Metal Knuckles, but you can call me MK. It's shorter! " Tails immediately smiled at his nice personality and said, " Nice to meet you, too! Follow me, guys! "

The two robots followed Tails as he ran out of the house in a yellow blur, with Metal Sonic hovering with his jet engine propelling him and carrying his suitcase as his brother simply ran, traversing a grassy field of varying elevation and going around a mountain to eventually reach a forest to the south of Sonic's house. It didn't take very long at their speed to reach Metal Sonic's new home. Tails quickly opened the door after it appeared in the ground, with Metal Knuckles saying in amazement, " Cool! It's got a cloaking device! " and the three of them went into the house to take a look at the completed bed.

Metal Knuckles looked around the house and said cheerfully, " This place looks just like your old bedroom, Metal! Tails really did a bang-up job! " Metal Sonic examined the bed and briefly felt the mattress, blankets and pillow, knowing how soft they were from his tactile sensors, and found himself smiling in appreciation. He knew it was undignified of such a powerful and feared robot to appreciate a soft bed, but he did anyways, especially considering how much trouble Sonic and Tails had to go through getting him one. " Thank you, Tails. I appreciate this. And when you see Sonic next, be sure to give him my thanks, " he said with a small smile, which Tails appreciated.

" There's one last thing I wanna give you, " Tails said, and revealed that he had what looked like a communicator in his hand. He placed it in Metal Sonic's hand as he stared at it in shock and said with a smile, " Now that you're a part of Sonic's team, what better way to commemorate it than by giving you a communicator? That way, if we want your help, we can contact you without having to come all the way here! "

Even Tails wasn't aware of just how much that meant to him. It symbolized that he was officially a trusted member of Sonic's team. He was stunned, being silent for a few seconds as he let it all sink in. On the one hand, he was honored that he was getting trusted and accepted into Sonic's side so quickly, but on the other hand, he felt like he hadn't done enough to truly earn it, and worried that it was too easy. Torn between worrying and being blissfully happy, he could only manage a nervous smile as he said to him sincerely, " Thank you, " looking him in the eyes for once to show that he meant it. Metal Knuckles smiled as he watched the scene in front of him, understanding just how much it meant to him while at the same time knowing how worried and confused he was, while Tails simply giggled and said, " You're welcome, Metal! See you later! " and left the house, leaving him and his brother alone.

" It all seems too easy… " Metal Sonic whispered nervously, which Metal Knuckles didn't fail to hear. He placed his hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and said with a smile, " Hey, don't worry about it! If you haven't earned it yet, you _will._ It's only a matter of time!... Hey, remember those other books that the librarian gave me as gifts? The ones you had to leave behind because they wouldn't all fit in your suitcase? Well, why don't I bring them to your house? You know, I'll do it one at a time, once a day, because I can't carry all of them at once. Your bookshelf will be filled up in no time! "

Appreciating that he was being comforted, Metal Sonic said unhappily, " That would be nice… It's just, this is such a drastic change! I'm living somewhere else, I have a different social group, I only get to see you out of _all_ of my comrades, and I haven't fought a single mech in _days!_ Is it any wonder I'm stressed out? " He sighed.

He knew he wasn't as bad as it could be. Sonic, Tails, and even Amy and GUN were all very accepting of his changing sides, with only Knuckles being suspicious and continuing to hate him, and he was more well-rested since he joined Sonic's side than he had been in months, sleeping in until 7:00 and not having nearly as horrible nightmares. But being deprived of his daily combat training for a few days had caused his stress to build up and become harder to hide. He needed to fight mechs and other robots to relieve stress, to take out his frustrations on a deserving target and channel them into a productive activity. Without an army of mechs to fight every day, he could only hold it all inside. The closest he could get to releasing it was from being honest about how much he disliked Knuckles, and even then, he knew he had to hold back, because provoking Knuckles into fighting him would mean he'd have to run away like a coward rather than hurt him and betray his side. He could only hope that Eggman would start carrying out another big plan and give Sonic another adventure.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Sonic and Tails were watching TV while eating pancakes for breakfast together, already missing Metal Sonic. Tails was watching a documentary about astronomy that happened to interest him, and Sonic was humoring him. The two of them were surprised when the documentary was interrupted.

" We interrupt this broadcast for an important news flash! " a female British voice said. Tails was disappointed, but since news broadcasts important enough to interrupt TV shows were generally vital for the heroes to see, he didn't complain. The reporter on television said, " Breaking news! Cindy Coatmen here, and we are _live_ in Emerald Hill Zone where reports have been made of the local wildlife disappearing, and animal-shaped robots taking their place, marking the second time that this has happened to Westside Island in five years. Rumor has it that this is once again the work of the infamous scientist, ' Doctor Eggman, ' and that he is searching for the Chaos Emeralds there. Why he continues to use animals for robots when he's already switched to Chaos Drives, I guess we'll never know. Either way, the populace of the island is consumed with fear and are hoping that no collateral damage will be done to the buildings or that any innocent civilians will be harmed and the island is full of dread. More at 11! " The documentary resumed after that.

Tails commented, " Westside Island?... Why does that _name_ sound _so_ familiar? " Sonic looked worried. He remembered how horribly the people of that island had treated Tails for being gifted with two tails, to the point where when he first met the child, he was traumatized and miserable. Tails was only three years old when he met him there. Even the most intelligent of minds have a difficult time recalling anything from when they were three years old, so Tails naturally ended up forgetting about his mistreatment over time. Sonic didn't, and since he didn't want Tails to become insecure about his two tails again, he had decided years ago to make sure Tails would never feel that way again. If that required not doing anything to remind him about his life before he met him, that was just what he had to do.

Sonic nervously chuckled and said cheerfully, " Well, it looks like I've got another exciting adventure! I'll call you up when I need your plane to fly me up somewhere. You know, like I did in that, ' werehog adventure? ' You've got plenty of stuff to work on in the lab anyways. "  
Sonic was incredibly relieved when Tails said, " Good idea, " having no problem with not coming with him.

Returning to a genuinely cheerful demeanor, Sonic chuckled and said, " Besides, it's gonna be me and Metal's first adventure together – as far as the general public knows, anyway – so it's only fitting that it'll be just me and him. " Tails smiled in agreement, and proceeded to bring Sonic the communicator that he had modified to have calling up Metal Sonic as the newest option. As Tails started bringing the dishes to the kitchen sink, Sonic quietly walked down the hallway and snuck into his bedroom to make sure that Tails wouldn't hear what he was going to say.

Metal Sonic was sitting on his bed reading a book when the communicator Tails had given him started to make a ringing sound that immediately got his attention. He gasped, closed the book and picked up the communicator as fast as he could, pressed the red Take Call button and answered the call in a hurry. " Yeah? " he answered, trying to act casual to hide how much of a rush he had been in to pick up the communicator.

" Hey, Metal! The news says that old Egghead is attacking Westside Island again! He's putting animals in robots and trying to look for the Chaos Emeralds there! You know what that means? Another adventure! And it'll be just the two of us! You'll get to prove yourself as a hero and redeem yourself to the world! It'll be great! " Sonic said to him over the communicator, full of excitement. Metal Sonic didn't want to reveal just how relieved and thrilled he was at getting to have another adventure with Sonic. After all, showing that much joy and happiness would be undignified of such a powerful robot. So he responded in as serious and professional a tone as he could, " I'll be there right away. "

Sounding worried, Sonic said quietly, " Wait! Before you come over here… Don't tell Tails that I met him on Westside Island. I-I, I met him when he was only three and he doesn't remember what his life was like before he met me anymore, and I just think it's better that way. If he finds out people on that island knew him when he was alone, he'll try to go there to find out about his past, and, well, some things are just better left forgotten. You know what I mean? "

Metal Sonic understood far better than Sonic had thought. He remembered what he had found out about Tails when he was kidnapped by Eggman and held in his primary base, only a month after Eggman had repaired his most powerful robot from being electrocuted on the Death Egg Mk II. He remembered that he couldn't help but feel sorry for that frightened child, especially after Eggman made it clear that he was apathetic to his well-being and ordered his robots not to feed him. His comrades and him disapproved of the order, so Metal Knuckles, Orbot, Cubot and him all joined together in a collaborative effort to make sure Tails would still be healthy, sneaking him food from Eggman's leftovers and water from the fridge. Metal Knuckles kept him company a lot, and even Metal Sonic did his part by lying to a bunch of robots that the bed Eggman was going to throw away would be brought to the room Tails was trapped in, making sure he had a warm and comfortable place to sleep at night.

He was embarrassed of how much sympathy he felt for him, but he was also proud of achieving something positive because of it, even if it made him look too soft-hearted. It was during that time when Tails was kidnapped by Eggman and Sonic was travelling through places like Sky High Zone trying to rescue him, that Metal Sonic and his comrades learned about what Tails' life was like before he met Sonic. They found it so tragic that they actually wondered if they truly did have it worse than him, sympathizing with how he was treated with prejudice for being different and shunned from society when, as robots, they weren't exactly welcome in regular society either.

Metal Sonic knew better than anyone that he had a life full of experiences that he would rather forget, and for a reason he couldn't quite understand, a lot of those experiences he indeed did forget. This often included his experiences going on missions for Eggman, which he would end up completely forgetting about only a week later. He wondered if he forgot about them because he had a faulty memory from being electrocuted, because he truly didn't care, or because his CPU ended up repressing them, which made perfect sense considering that he didn't _want_ to remember. One thing that contrasted him from Shadow was that while Shadow would value knowing about your own life and past regardless of how terrible it was, Metal Sonic would rather forget as much about his stressful experiences as possible. He agreed with Sonic completely. Some things were better left forgotten. So it wasn't just obedience to his new authority figure that compelled him to agree to Sonic's request. It was personal experience. " Understood. I won't inform him. He doesn't need to know, " he said, with his serious and professional tone having a slight undercurrent of depressed sadness to it.

Sonic said in relief, " Good. I knew I could count on you! " He chuckled and said to him energetically, " Alright, Tails will be flying us to Westside Island with his plane and then come back home. We'll be waiting for you! " With that, the call ended, and Metal Sonic immediately left the house and started flying at the speed of sound to Sonic and Tails' house, speeding past trees and bushes in the forest and eventually flying high up in the sky to fly over the mountain instead of around it, determined to get to Sonic and start his newest mission as fast as possible. He couldn't wait to fight some robots again.


	16. Chapter 16

Immediately after getting the call, Metal Sonic flew at the speed of sound from his newly built home to Tails' workshop, where Sonic and Tails were eagerly waiting for him. The garage door to the workshop letting the plane leave it was open, and there was a runway for the plane just ahead of it that led off the edge of the small mountain the workshop and house were on and into the ocean. Sonic said with excitement, " Another adventure awaits us! Come on, Metal! "

Metal Sonic flew up to and climbed into the back seat of the Tornado-1, put on the diagonal seatbelt and the horizontal seatbelt, and tightened them both just in case, as Sonic stared at him doing so with a small smile. " _Just like old times,_ " Sonic thought wistfully, remembering how that was exactly what Metal Sonic had always done on their previous adventure together. " _I wish he'd relax a bit and try standing on the wing of the plane like me, at least once. Heck, he's a robot who can fly, so he's got even less to worry about from falling off than I do! Ah, well. That's just the way he is, and it's not hurting anyone. I'm just glad he's here to help,_ " Sonic thought, as Tails checked the plane's status and then started driving it down the runway.

The Tornado-1 picked up momentum as it reached the end of the runway, so that by the time it drove off, it started flying in the sky instead of plummeting into the ocean below, and Tails easily made the plane fly higher in the sky as he followed his GPS to reach Westside Island. Sonic and Tails had their regular friendly banter as Metal Sonic once again stared to the left of him at the scenery below, but this time without feeling nearly as awkward and troubled as he was the previous time. This time, while he still wasn't used to being on Sonic's side yet, he was a lot more comfortable with it than before.

The island wasn't that far away, being just off the coast of the continent that the United Federation was on, only being a couple of miles east of Station Square across the ocean. It didn't take very long at all for the plane to find its destination. Tails said after a glance at his GPS, " Okay, we're here! Westside Island! " and landed the plane in Emerald Hill Zone, with Sonic jumping off the wing of the wing with a back-flip and landing on the ground with practiced grace. Metal Sonic simply waited for the plane to stop moving before leaving it, looking serious and professional as he stood beside Sonic with his arms crossed as if he was starting another mission. Sonic said cheerfully, " Thanks, Tails! I'll call you if I need your plane again! " with his communicator stored in his shoe for safekeeping. Tails said with a smile, " Good luck! " and flew his plane back home.

Sonic looked around Emerald Hill Zone with concern. The news was right. Badniks were everywhere. It almost looked as if he would run into a badnik every time he would try to run fast in the area, and he was thankful for his boost. There were monkey badniks that dropped coconuts from the tops of the trees, piranha badniks with sharp teeth that jumped out of the water and attacked anyone using the bridges, and flying bee badniks larger than him who would fly towards potential enemies with stingers out and shoot energy balls as they flew around. To a regular person, such robots, especially so many of them at once, would be terrifying, but to Sonic and Metal Sonic, they were no threat at all. They would be destroyed with a single attack. The reason Sonic was concerned wasn't because he was intimidated by them. It wasn't even just because the badniks posed a potential threat to anybody who came there – although they were programmed to only attack Sonic and anyone helping him. It was because of sympathy for the animals trapped inside the badniks, used as a basis for their CPUs and brainwashed with Eggman's programming, that Sonic was concerned.

" I can't believe Eggman would do this to the island again. Think of how many innocent animals are trapped inside these robots! " Sonic said unhappily. Metal Sonic, on the other hand, didn't respond with nearly the amount of sympathy that Sonic did. He thought apathetically, " _What's the big deal? They're just animals. If the idiot was trapping people, I'd care. You'd think if anything, it'd be helping the animals, since they can't be attacked by predators and are kept alive in the badniks. Whatever._ "

He didn't care about the animals at all. That didn't mean that he hated them or approved of them being in badniks, of course, being even more opposed to enslavement by Eggman that Sonic was, but it was hardly something he was concerned about. He was never a nature lover like Sonic was, and the fact that he was specifically programmed to not care about the morality of what Eggman did certainly didn't help. He wasn't even motivated enough to pretend that he cared. But he knew that being honest about how little he cared would upset Sonic, possibly making him give him a lecture that he didn't care for. Worst case scenario, it would risk his trust of him. Just because he didn't care about animals and nature didn't mean he hated them, and it certainly didn't mean he wouldn't be loyal to Sonic. But he didn't know if Sonic understood that. So instead of mentioning or even implying his apathy to the animals being enslaved and brainwashed, he simply said in a serious tone, " Leave the robots to _me._ "

Sonic smiled a little at the idea that he said that because he was concerned about the animals, and said, " Sure thing! " while giving him a thumbs-up, and with that, the two of them started going through Emerald Hill Zone together, boosting alongside each other as they travelled through it. But it soon became clear to Sonic that Metal Sonic's method of attacking was far more vicious than his was. Metal Sonic destroyed the badniks with a level of ferocity that he hadn't seen from him in years, surrounding himself with fire and moving at Mach 4 as he ripped them apart with his claws and sliced through them with his spindash and Spin Jump. At one point, he even repeatedly bounce-attacked the remains of a badnik. Of course, Sonic didn't fail to notice how many animals he was freeing along the way, but it didn't change the fact that whenever that robot attacked a badnik, he looked enraged with glowing red eyes and destroyed it with unnecessary viciousness, seeming to be attacking at full strength and not holding anything back. Sonic wondered if it was because he was annoyed with Eggman and taking it out on his robots, but Metal Sonic knew the truth. He was using the badniks to relieve stress, taking his anger out on them by taking all of his bottled up frustration and using it against them. The fact that he had gone for days without a fight certainly didn't help.

Sonic couldn't help but be a little unnerved by his vicious and almost barbaric way of defeating the robots, to the point of being very glad that he wasn't his enemy anymore, but he looked on the bright side to cheer himself up. As vicious as that powerful robot was, it didn't change the fact that he was freeing far more animals than Sonic ever did in his adventures. Sonic always tried to go through the areas as fast as possible to get the best time, as would be fitting for the fastest thing alive, but this meant that he only got to free animals from the badniks that happened to be in his way. Metal Sonic seemed to be destroying all the badniks in the area, and without getting hit once. Sonic focused on the good he was accomplishing and smiled. Regardless of how he was going about it or why he was doing it, he was still doing a good thing, and he appreciated that.

The two of them sped through Emerald Hill Zone with relative ease, absorbing ring energy that created an invincibility force field around them to protect them from the next hit as they boosted up and down slopes, hit springs, and for Metal Sonic's case, destroyed every badnik in sight. Sonic was having fun, just as much fun as he usually did in an adventure, but he couldn't help but wonder how the next fight with Eggman would turn out with Metal Sonic being that vicious.

Author's Notes: Even though this story has made Metal Sonic more good-hearted than most, he's still very firmly an Anti-Hero. He's not passionate about right and wrong like Sonic is and he's certainly not against doing the pragmatic and logical thing just because it might unnerve some people. He's like Shadow in that respect. So that combined with his need for a stress reliever and his status as the most powerful robot would naturally make him attack the badniks a lot more viciously than Sonic would. I never understood the concept of Eggman using animals as batteries for his badniks, since as Futurama pointed out about The Matrix, using a living creature as a battery wouldn't work because it'd require more energy to keep them alive than you'd get from them. So it makes more sense to me that Eggman uses them as CPUs to be brainwashed with his programming to attack Sonic. I still don't get why he wouldn't just make CPUs himself, wouldn't it be less work than capturing animals and making robots as life support machines to keep them being used as such? But it makes more sense than the battery idea. As for how Sonic is storing a walky-talky under the sole of his shoe? Well, you'll have to read The Rescue Mission to find out. See you for another chapter of this tomorrow!


	17. Chapter 17

When Sonic reached the end of Emerald Hill Zone, he was greeted with a smug Eggman in an Eggmobile converted into a machine with a drill at the end, just like five years ago, with the key difference that it was covered in thick metal plates of armor.

Eggman said confidently, " I'm taking my _past failure_ five years ago and making _changes_ to turn it into a _victory!_ " Sonic retorted, " Didn't you already do that five years ago? Mad Gear Zone was _way_ easier than Scrap Brain Zone, so I doubt it'll work this time! " Eggman said, " Don't get any ideas, Sonic! This machine is impervious to _all_ of your attacks! It's _impossible_ for you to win! " But instead of getting worried, Sonic replied with a smile, " I wouldn't be so confident, doc! "

Suddenly, Metal Sonic flew up to him in a blue blur at the speed of sound, and stood beside Sonic with his arms crossed as he gave Eggman a resentful look. Eggman gasped, and exclaimed in shock, " Metal Sonic?! He let you join him?! You, you traitor! As soon as I defeat you, you're coming straight home- What?! "

Instead of letting him finish his pre-battle speech, Metal Sonic turned on his boost to surround himself with fire and fly at the machine at Mach 4, and rapidly sliced off its armor with his claws, damaging the metal plates and making them fall off from being softened by the heat and sliced at four times the speed of sound. Eggman had started moving the machine forwards as soon as he realized what was going on, but at the speed Metal Sonic was working, it only took a couple seconds for all of the armor to be destroyed. After that, he turned off his boost, and Sonic smiled and gave him a thumbs-up before homing-attacking the left side of the machine as Metal Sonic did so with the right side, with them working together to destroy the drill machine.

As the machine became cracked and dented in various places and eventually fell apart, Eggman growled and made his Eggmobile fly out of the cockpit of the machine and away from the wreckage, yelling, " I'll get you next time! "

While Metal Sonic simply stood still with his arms crossed and a serious expression to look dignified and not take his victory for granted, Sonic cheered and jumped for joy, and said, " Hi-five! " Feeling obligated to and finding Sonic's happiness a little contagious, Metal Sonic smiled a little and hi-fived back, doing so gently by slightly moving his hand closer to him to avoid hurting him.

Sonic said happily, " Thanks, Metal! I would've had to retreat there! With you by my side, this next adventure will be a piece of cake! " Soon, he noticed something lying on the ground in the wreckage of Eggman's previous machine, and picked it up with a smile. " Hey, a Chaos Emerald! " he said, holding the green Chaos Emerald in his hand. " And I didn't even have to go through some crazy area that defied the laws of physics to get it! Sweet! " he said cheerfully. The Chaos Emerald started shining brightly and converted itself into green chaos energy that was absorbed into Sonic's energy field, letting him have it in his possession without having to carry it around everywhere. Since it was a routine thing, he thought nothing of it.

In front of the wreckage to the distance was what looked like a large factory that looked very familiar. Sonic said, " Chemical Plant Zone. It's been abandoned for _years!_ It'll be full of badniks now that Eggman's using it again! I haven't gone through this place with my boost since that Time Eater showed up! It'll be fun! Come on, Metal! " and ran to the next destination at the speed of sound. 

Since Metal Sonic was so shocked at hearing about the Time Eater, he took a second before following him. He remembered how the Time Eater had taken him as a kid to what looked just like Stardust Speedway, where he found a Chaos Emerald and challenged Sonic to a fight for it, only to lose once again and be sent back to his proper place in time after everything was all sorted out. He remembered how shocked and worried he was at being at Stardust Speedway again, since he distinctly remembering losing to Sonic there and wasn't entirely confident that it wouldn't happen again. He didn't even know that time-travelling monster's name until five years later, and he was ashamed at being helpless as it transported him through time and space against his will. He remembered how relieved he was that Eggman believed him when he told him what had happened after he was repaired in his own time, and that he wasn't in trouble for deciding to fight Sonic independently of him.

Fighting Sonic hadn't been fun since the first time proved he could lose. After that, it was nothing but pain and suffering, with him being stressed out the entire time as he tried to do everything perfectly and focused on everything that went wrong. Looking back on it, he was thankful that those days were over. He wasn't sure if he could handle fighting Sonic again. He was thankful that Sonic and him were allies. Sonic was right. They did make a good team.


	18. Chapter 18

When Sonic went into Chemical Plant Zone, he smiled in nostalgia at how similar it was to when he first went through it. There were a couple changes here and there that Eggman made that reminded him of his Time Eater adventure through it, but for the most part, it was the same. Metal recognized a lot of the unchanged areas, as well, since he had gone through Westside Island multiple times as a kid when he was still fixated on proving he wasn't inferior to Sonic. But he didn't want to admit that to Sonic; he had already admitted on his previous adventure with him how many times he had gone through Green Hill Zone. So he kept himself quiet instead of commenting on the area's change.

Chemical Plant Zone was an industrial factory filled with toxic blue slime, badniks with spikes on their heads that often stuck to walls and shoot energy balls, and loops and twisting chemical pipes that made it the fastest area the two of them had gone through that day, with Sonic and Metal Sonic boosting along the top of them in a straight line as the pipes twisted up and down. The factory was full of many traps and obstacles that required fast reflexes to overcome, which was no problem at all for Sonic and Metal Sonic, who had reflexes as fast as sound, and certainly wasn't a problem for Metal Sonic considering that he could fly.

The factory had various tubes that sucked them in one at a time and brought them with a strong wind to different parts of the factory, with Sonic and Metal Sonic jumping into them in ball form. There were yellow pipes filled with blue chemicals everywhere, and a common feature of the factory were floating moving blocks that would have to be jumped on to progress. Metal Sonic's least favorite part of the area was the area with the blue snake-shaped sludge that jumped from one tube to the next, as he had several instances where he ended up flying into it from miscalculating his jump timing as a child and had only the ring energy he had absorbed to protect him from damage.

As Sonic and Metal Sonic travelled through the factory, their distinct personalities and demeanors were clear. Metal Sonic continued being serious and silent from being completely focused on the mission, as well as violently destroying every badnik he could find for the sake of it. Sonic was upbeat and chatty, commenting on a lot of things, speeding through the area as fast as he could and only losing his jovial demeanor to complain about the one thing that severely bothered him about the area; the water, or rather, the pink Mega Mack liquid that polluted several areas of the factory. Sonic was known for his fearlessness, but the one thing that consistently terrified him was the prospect of drowning. It didn't matter if it was water or oil or Mega Mack, any large pool of liquid that he could potentially fall into and be unable to escape from before drowning, put him in a state of unease.

The first half of Chemical Plant Zone didn't have him all that worried, but the second half had him oddly silent from fear, with a focused expression to hide it, intimidated by all the areas that he could fall into the liquid from and being completely focused on getting the platforming right to avoid the most terrifying death he could imagine. By the time he reached the first area with the small thin yellow platforms moving left and right across the surface of a very deep pool of pink liquid, Sonic had become just as careful and cautious as Metal Sonic, for the moment at least, as he carefully stopped and timed his jumps perfectly instead of getting lost in the thrills of running fast like he usually did and risking plummeting into the liquid below.

Eventually, the two of them reached Sonic's least favorite part of the factory. They would have to perfectly time their jumps to land on top of the moving blocks as the pink liquid began rising beneath them. Metal Sonic didn't have any trouble with it at all, since he could just fly with his jet engine to skip the entire segment, but when he stopped at the top of the segment and looked down at Sonic to make sure he would make it out of there, he soon became thankful that he did.

Upon looking down and seeing polluted pink liquid rising up to him, Sonic started panicking, barely able to focus enough to time his jumps correctly. At first, he landed on the moving blocks just fine, but just before he could jump up to the end of the segment, he mistimed his jump and fell back down to a block below him, just barely avoiding falling into the pink liquid that was steadily rising. Panicking, Sonic cried out, " Help! " and just as he mistimed his jump and started falling towards the liquid below him, Metal Sonic flew down to him at the speed of sound, grabbed his hand at the last moment, and effortlessly brought him to safety.

Sonic sighed in relief as he stood beside him, looking down at the pink liquid before shuddering and looking away, and smiled at last, saying, " Thanks, Metal! That was close… " in a tone full of relief. Metal Sonic couldn't help but feel sorry for him, not being comfortable with seeing the usually brave and optimistic hedgehog scared out of his wits, but he kept a serious expression to try to hide his concern. He knew how it felt to be afraid of something more than anything else to the point of panicking at seeing it, but he didn't want to look weak and incompetent by admitting it to him, so he kept quiet. He was certain that Sonic would find out what he was afraid of on his own anyways, and he wanted to delay it for as long as possible. So instead of letting himself look too concerned, he simply said in a serious manner, " There's still danger up ahead. Be careful, " and Sonic reluctantly followed him as he flew away from him at the speed of sound, being a little jealous of how Metal Sonic could just fly over all of the Mega Mack while he couldn't. There were two parts of the factory after that where Sonic had to stop and wait for moving platforms to carry him across the liquid while Metal Sonic simply kept on flying, and naturally, it made him very tense. It didn't take very long for them to reach the end of Chemical Plant Zone after that, but what awaited them was a fight that Sonic would soon come to dread.


	19. Chapter 19

When Sonic and Metal Sonic encountered Eggman again, they soon realized that the next fight would be even more challenging than its predecessor. Instead of only a couple floor tiles being rotating platforms that would send Sonic into the pink liquid below, all of them rotated, making staying on the floor dangerous. And instead of the Eggmobile having a canister that simply dropped blue slime from above, it was a fast-moving cannon that would shoot it in any direction. Eggman laughed evilly and started to fly the Eggmobile back and forth, but Sonic and Metal Sonic nodded to each other and attacked, having figured out a battle strategy. They both proceeded to rapidly homing-attack the Eggmobile from different sides, homing-attack a different part of it every time as they dodged the blue slime shot from the cannon at them, and Eggman grumbled and complained about how he hadn't accounted for how much easier his old Eggmobile fights turned out to be with the homing-attack.

Halfway into the fight, Metal Sonic turned on his boost to surround himself with fire and spindashed into the cannon at Mach 4, and proceeded to rapidly bounce-attack it from various different parts, melting it and damaging it while dodging the toxic blue slime and making sure the cannon would be aiming for him instead of Sonic. He wouldn't have been damaged by the toxicity of the slime, but it still would've knocked him back and potentially knocked him into the pink liquid below, which would've made him have to fly all the way back to where he was while Sonic was left alone.

Sonic and Metal Sonic continued their battle strategy until finally, after about a minute, Eggman was defeated. The cannon broke off the canister, the canister itself fell off the machine, and Eggman was left flying his Eggmobile out of the wreckage, yelling, " I'll get you next time! " while leaving the scene. Metal Sonic deadpanned, " You said that already, " with his arms crossed, standing on the platforms that were no longer rotating because they were drained of their energy. Sonic said with excitement, " Woo-hoo! That was awesome! I can't wait to see what the next fight will be like! " and ran ahead to the next destination as Metal Sonic rolled his eyes at his optimism.


	20. Chapter 20

When Sonic and Metal Sonic reached Aquatic Ruin Zone, neither of them were completely happy about it; Sonic because he was afraid of drowning and there were large underwater areas in the place with very sparsely placed air bubbles, and Metal Sonic because of the arrows that would constantly shoot out in a horizontal path and hit him. They weren't too fond of the pillars, either, since they were tall enough that it was a bit of work to get onto the top of them to progress, and after you did, it crumbled so that you couldn't even use it to jump to a higher area. The ruin did have a golden color to it that even Metal Sonic couldn't help but see as beautiful, and both of them appreciated the fact that it was possible to skip over all of the water by skillfully staying on the high route, something that Sonic took full advantage of.

The ruins were full of red badniks with drills on their noses that would slide back and forth, as well as blue fish badniks that would quickly dart towards their target, and as usual, Metal Sonic made sure to completely tear apart every one he laid eyes on. Sonic commented on the area a lot while Metal Sonic stayed completely silent and focused on making it out of there. While Sonic appreciated his help, he couldn't help but feel a little lonely at him not talking to him, and wished that he would relax and loosen up instead of being so serious about a fun adventure. He was glad that the robot was on his side and doing good now, but he definitely had more fun when he was going through the island with Tails. Of course, he wouldn't tell him that, since it would only make him worry that he wasn't being accepted for who he was.

By the second half of the ruins, Sonic ended up falling into a water area from being too distracted to time his jump correctly. He was terrified and panicked, but soon emerged from the water with a smile, not only because he made it out of there alive, but because he had found the yellow Chaos Emerald in the water. " Hey, Metal! Guess what I found?! " he said happily. Metal Sonic stopped flying to turn around and look at him, being ahead of him at the moment. Sonic chuckled at finding another emerald before Eggman could, and the emerald started to glow before transforming into an energy state and being absorbed into his aura, letting him possess it without having to carry it around. " Only five more left! Come on, Metal! " Sonic said cheerfully, before speeding off in a blue blur towards the end of the ruins. Metal Sonic sighed and shook his head at his optimism, and flew after him at the speed of sound. 

Just like before, pillars rose up from the ground between them that would shoot arrows when Eggman slammed them with a sledgehammer. The major difference was that this time, the Eggmobile was equipped with two sledgehammers connected to the Eggmobile that would hit the pillars at different times, shooting even more arrows than before. While Sonic jumped on top of the arrows to use them as platforms to reach Eggman and homing-attack his flying Eggmobile, Metal Sonic simply flew up to it to attack it effortlessly, causing Sonic to wish for what was hardly the first time that he could fly.  
With their combined efforts, the battle was over in just a minute, only lasting longer because the Eggmobile had stronger defense that time.

Eggman used his Eggmobile to fly out of the wreckage of the machine he had used, and Sonic cheered, not only at winning, but at finding the light blue Chaos Emerald in the wreckage. " _This_ thing was powered by a Chaos Emerald? " Metal Sonic deadpanned as Eggman flew out of earshot in his Eggmobile. Sonic chuckled and said, " Yeah, and that drill thing was powered by one, too! That Egghead sure knows how to make disappointing machines with powerful gems! " as the Chaos Emerald transformed into energy and was absorbed into his energy field.

Metal Sonic couldn't help but be irritated at the way Sonic insulted Eggman, being reminded of how Sonic taunted him in his fights with him when he was younger. It was a side of him that he hated, with Sonic coming off as an arrogant and mean-spirited bully from his perspective, especially considering how much more sensitive he was to criticism from him back then. He was upset with himself for being annoyed with Sonic at the moment, considering that Sonic was insulting Eggman and he had no respect for the man himself, and he felt guilty about thinking of him as arrogant when he was nothing but nice and understanding to him recently. But he didn't let Sonic find any of it out, letting him know nothing of his inner turmoil. Instead, he said, " Exactly. Our next destination is ahead, be careful, " and flew ahead of him towards the casino at the speed of sound as the sun began to set, with Sonic soon running after him, wishing he would loosen up a little.


	21. Chapter 21

As Sonic and Metal Sonic headed into Casino Night Zone, the two of them had completely different feelings about the place. Sonic, ever the fun-loving optimist, enjoyed pinball areas and slot machines, while Metal Sonic wished he was in an area that he could just fly over in a straight line again. The casino, built by Eggman and full of annoying ladybug badniks with bumpers on the front of them, had flippers that would read the thoughts of the individual near them and know to move upwards to send them upwards when they so desired, and Sonic used those flippers to send himself directly into the first slot machine he saw, while Metal Sonic simply brought himself to the small platforms between the flippers that changed color three times before vanishing and letting him go underneath them. Metal Sonic looked up at Sonic's gambling from the floor below the slot machine with his arms crossed and a mildly annoyed expression on his face.

After entering the slot machine, Sonic cheered at getting two Jackpots and a Sonic, earning himself 120 rings, and proceeded to use the slot machine two more times to get the exact same result. Metal Sonic wasn't surprised at all, having believed for years that Sonic was supernaturally lucky as a blessing from the universe to keep him saving the world from Eggman, while anyone associated with Eggman, was extremely unlucky. It was because of this line of thinking that he was discouraged from gambling himself. Sonic jumped down to where he was and asked cheerfully,

" Hey, Metal, why aren't you trying the slot machines? They're fun! " Metal Sonic complained with his arms crossed looking away from him, " I've encountered these things before. _Every_ _single_ _time_ I try to use a slot machine, I _always_ land on three Eggmans! Or, three Eggmen, or Eggman's, or however it's _pronounced!_ My luck is _abysmal!_ You're the hero of the world, so you're gifted with a lot more good luck than most people, so you can feel free to use those things all you want, but I'm avoiding them like the plague. "

Sonic couldn't help but chuckle a little in amusement at hearing Metal Sonic's ridiculously over the top bad luck with slot machines, but at the same time, he felt sorry for him. Did he think that he still had bad luck even though he was on the hero of the world's side? Did he think he was still cursed? Sonic personally didn't believe in luck and whatnot like he did, with Metal using it as a coping mechanism as a kid because it was easier than believing Sonic won out of superiority. But he still didn't want him to feel like he was cursed and couldn't take any risks because the universe hated him. Wanting to prove him wrong, he said with a smile,

" Come on, Metal! Things have changed since then. You're on the same side as the _hero_ by this point! That has to count for _something!_ Maybe your luck has turned around, at least a little. Even if you do lose some rings, there's plenty of ring energy over here, so it's not the end of the world. It won't hurt to try. " If it were anyone else, Metal Sonic would've stubbornly refused and went on his way. But it was Sonic who was encouraging him. Not only did he feel obligated to do what he wanted because Sonic was the leader, but he had a powerful respect for him. Sonic was the hero of the world, so having done so many things to make a positive impact and showing off his combat prowess so much made it hard not to respect him, even despite Metal Sonic's disrespect for his recklessness and idealism. Sonic allowed him to join his side and gave him a second chance. He was the only person standing between him having a life on the run. He gave him a home and friends who supported him – except Knuckles – and did so much for him that he wanted to pay him back. Most importantly of all, as the root of all of his respect, Sonic was the person he was based on. Sonic would know better than anyone what the worth and value of a robot based on himself would be, and that combined with everything else admirable about him led Metal Sonic to not only have a respect for him since he met him, but want his approval, as a necessary means of validating his own existence. So just seeing Sonic smile at him and encourage him like they were friends and he approved of him, put him in a good enough mood to try out what he said.

" Okay, Sonic. I'll try it once, " he said with a genuine smile, still with his arms crossed. He flew up to the slot machine and used the flippers to bring himself into it, and was surprised at getting three Sonic's in a row, giving himself 30 rings. It wouldn't be much of an accomplishment normally, but considering how unlucky he usually was, the fact that he won any rings at all was shocking to him, and proved Sonic right. While he wasn't as lucky as Sonic was, the sheer fact that he was working for him was making the universe give him some better luck than he was used to. It would still take a while for him to adjust to the idea that he wasn't unlucky and could take risks when nearly his entire life had him operating on that mindset, but still, the fact that he had better luck now made him smile. He landed beside Sonic and quickly flew ahead of him as Sonic said cheerfully, " See? I told you that you had better luck! "

The two of them travelled through Casino Night Zone, putting up with slowly moving large blue blocks, difficult to manage floating conveyor belts, slow moving elevators, bumpers everywhere that would knock them in seemingly random directions, and springs that would psychically read that they wanted them to launch them and would take multiple seconds to do so. There were a few loops, at least, and Sonic made it a habit to use every slot machine he'd see three times in a row even if Metal ignored them, and Metal Sonic was able to fly through the area, so he didn't have to put up with the conveyor belts, bumpers, or slow springs. But despite that, Metal Sonic was relieved when the casino was done and over with. Little did he know what was coming up…

Author's Notes: Yeah, I hate pinball levels. I'm sorry, I just don't like being knocked in directions I don't wanna go and having so many slow gimmicks and waiting everywhere when all I wanna do is go fast in a Sonic game. The only pinball levels I've ever enjoyed are Sonic Advance's Casino Paradise, and Collision Chaos, which was more of a spring level. I just think that pinball levels don't follow the high-speed platforming that Sonic games should follow. I don't mind gimmicks that keep the speed going. I love spinning around poles in Sonic Adventure 2 and flinging off them! I love snowboarding down Ice Cap and Robotnik Winter! Those are fast gimmicks. But when I'm forced to stop moving fast in a Sonic game and wait around or do some careful precise platforming instead of having an exciting time, I dunno. I loved Sonic 1 for the Game Gear, which was definitely about the platforming, but that's because the jump physics were perfect. You could turn in mid air without losing any speed whatsoever. It was almost as perfect as the jump physics of Super Mario World, and that's saying something. Sure, on the Game Gear, you had to make blind jumps because of the screen crunch, but at least the physics worked for it so that you weren't overshooting platforms all the time because you didn't let go of the Control Pad while jumping towards the platforms. In a more momentum-based game, I'd prefer momentum-based gameplay. That's just me. So, no, I don't really like areas like Casino Night Zone or Spring Yard Zone, even though I sort of want to. As for the story itself, there's the explanation for why Metal Sonic appreciates Sonic's smiles of approval so much. He's based on him, so Sonic would know better than anyone else what his worth is, so naturally he'd want his validation. If anything, he looks up to him as sort of an older brother figure, someone he respects and wants the approval of who isn't that much older than him. Of course, he'd never intentionally admit that.


	22. Chapter 22

Sonic and Metal Sonic jumped down to Eggman and found themselves in an enclosed area when the way they came from was automatically blocked by a wall. The way out of the area was blocked by another wall that wouldn't rise up and out of the way until Eggman was defeated. The area was full of bumpers and pinball flippers, with a floor full of slopes. " Come on, Eggman, bring it on! " Sonic said, eager to have another fight with him. Eggman was in a UFO-shaped Eggmobile with red, blue, yellow and gray colors on the top and gray everywhere else, with yellow claws on the bottom and a hole between them that dropped exploding mines. The only additions Eggman seemed to make to the old design were laser shooting cannons on each side of the Eggmobile to shoot the walls if necessary. But it wasn't the additions to the Eggmobile that grabbed Metal Sonic's attention.

A field of electricity showed up directly below the Eggmobile, travelling between the two claws looking like a blue moving bolt of lightning with a loud buzzing sound, and the second Metal Sonic saw it, he gasped, and his red eyes shrunk to the size of tiny dots as he became overwhelmed with fear, so fixated on the electricity that he knew nothing else. All in an instant, he relived a vivid memory from five years ago, and remembered slamming into an electrified wall at over three thousand miles per hour. He remembered everything, from the excruciating pain he felt from the high voltage electricity jolting through his body and melting parts of his wires and from the sheer force of flying into a metal wall at such a speed, to him falling onto his back from the wall a few seconds later with an extremely cracked and dented casing with oil bleeding out of him, to how frightened and unsettled he was by feeling his consciousness slowly slip from him as he lost the energy to continue functioning, with all of his electricity sparking out.

The front of his head started stinging and aching in an unbearable psychogenic headache as his body started to believe that the experience had happened again, and he started shaking uncontrollably as he snapped back to reality, with less than a second having passed from him experiencing the memory at less than half the speed of the blink of an eye. As soon as he realized that an electrocution like that could happen again, his shrunken eyes glowed brightly and he looked furious, determined to damage the machine floating above him as much as possible and neutralize the threat before it could cause any harm. It was as if a switch had been flipped inside of him that triggered him to enter a completely different state of mind, a state focused entirely on weighing the options of fight and flight and carrying one of them out as effectively as possible.

Losing almost all control of himself, his jet engine roared to life as he jumped into the air, curled up in a spinning ball, and flew towards the top of the Eggmobile with his boost activated, repeatedly slamming into it from multiple different parts slicing through its metal exterior with his sharp metal spines and burning through it with the fire surrounding him. He moved at four times the speed of sound, being an orange fiery blur that instantly went from standing on the floor of the arena to viciously attacking the Eggmobile as much as possible in what was apparently an unstoppable rage. He didn't even register that Eggman himself was in the machine and he could potentially hurt him, only having it in mind that he had to make the electricity stop being a threat and protect himself and others from suffering a similar fate.

Eggman was naturally terrified at how his most powerful robot had stopped holding back and was attacking his machine as viciously as possible, and desperately mashed the buttons on the keyboard in front of him from the cockpit as he moved the Eggmobile quickly in every direction, firing the lasers nonstop and dropping tons of exploding mines that Sonic had to dodge. Sonic stared at the scene with a worried expression, wondering why Metal Sonic was having that reaction and hoping he wouldn't end up hurting Eggman himself. He was slightly scared of him, realizing that he had never actually seen him so vicious before, but more than anything, he was concerned. He knew that Metal Sonic would never hurt him again. All he wanted to do was find out what was wrong. There had to be a reason for why he went from frightened to enraged and fighting viciously in just a split-second as soon as he saw electricity.

After repeatedly attacking the modified Eggmobile with his Burning Bounce Attack for several seconds in an unstoppable ball of destruction, Metal Sonic uncurled, flew down to face the claws with the electricity between them, and a distinctive whirring sound was heard as what looked like a ball of pinkish red energy appeared in his jet engine and grew in size. Eggman recognized it as Metal Sonic charging up his most powerful attack, and screamed and flinched impulsively, being too panicked to do anything else. Three seconds later, a powerful laser blasted out of Metal Sonic's jet engine with the sound of an explosion and disintegrated the claws below the Eggmobile, causing the electricity to stop flowing between them.

Feeling exhausted from expending so much energy with the Plasma Pulse Attack, the robot's expression went from enraged to simply resentful, and he took a second for his brain to register that the electricity was gone. When he finally did, he was confused and began to look scared again, and started trembling as his jet engine let him fly downwards, and he soon landed on his feet on the floor below, barely noticing that Eggman was flying the Eggmobile out of the wreckage and leaving the arena through the newly opened up exit. Metal backed away towards the wall behind him and ended up sitting with his back against the slope leading up to the wall, with his eyes still fixated on the part of the wreckage where the electricity used to be as if he was seeing it when it wasn't there.

Seeing such a powerful robot overwhelmed with fear caused Sonic to become full of sympathy for him. He took one look at how he was shaking with an expression of dread and terror, with eyes that were absorbed in looking at something far away, and was instantly reminded of how Tails used to act when he was three years old and still remembered being viciously bullied and hunted down for having two tails. Sonic remembered how even someone jokingly teasing him had rendered Tails hysterically frightened by the possibility of being hated again, and he became lost in the memories of his past, gripped with fear and helplessness from posttraumatic flashbacks. He recognized that behavior from experience, and he quickly realized what had happened.

It all added up. Metal Sonic didn't seem to take Eggman's latest machine seriously as a threat at all, but the instant Eggman turned on its electrical field, the robot looked frightened and gasped at the sight of it, and proceeded to attack the Eggmobile viciously in an unstoppable rage, no longer holding back because he was doing whatever he could to protect himself. He was afraid of being electrocuted. Such a fear had to have a source. He had to have been electrocuted before. The only time Sonic could remember that happening to him, was five years ago, on the Death Egg Mk II, and he quickly remembered the scream of pain he had heard behind that electrified wall that even he couldn't help but be unnerved by. Was that why he feared electricity so much? Was it really that traumatic?

With only a few seconds of hesitation, Sonic walked up to Metal Sonic, sat down in front of him, and placed his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. It took a second for the robot to realize he was even there, but once he did, he looked into his eyes and said quietly in confusion, " Sonic? " Staring at his hand on his shoulder, he looked sad and confused at Sonic's gesture of compassion, and took a few more seconds to realize why it was happening. He had been so lost in his traumatic memory that he had forgotten Sonic had become his friend, that things had changed since back then, and being shown such compassion by his former enemy helped snap him back to reality.

" Are you alright? " Sonic asked him with concern, not expecting an answer right away. Making another bold move, he sat down beside him and put his arm around him in a sideways hug, with Metal Sonic still looking sad and confused, not letting him know how much he appreciated the gesture.

He tried to figure out why Sonic was so concerned about him. After all, judging by the looks of the wreckage in front of him, he must have made it very clear how powerful of a robot he was by destroying Eggman's newest machine so thoroughly. Why would Sonic be concerned at seeing him display such impressive power, instead of being impressed and cheering at his victory like before? He must have looked strong, not weak! So why was Sonic so worried about him? He was so lost in his memory that he barely remembered what he had actually done in response to it.

After a few seconds, he asked Sonic, still sounding tired from expending so much energy, " Did I… Did I look, _intimidated?_ " Sonic unhappily looked away before admitting in concern, " Yeah, you did. As soon as Eggman turned on that energy field… I've never seen you fight so hard before. " Metal Sonic sighed sadly, depressed at the idea that Sonic would think of him as weak and emotionally fragile and lose all respect for him from what he had found out. Worst case scenario, Sonic might decide to never go on another adventure with him from thinking that he couldn't handle it.

" Hey… " Sonic said to get his attention, still with his arm around him. " I think I have an idea about what happened. And I just wanna let you know, that you have _nothing_ to worry about. I still respect you. Who wouldn't respect an awesome robot like you? Nothing's gonna change… I understand. " Wondering if Sonic could really be that understanding, Metal replied, " You still respect me? "

Sonic nodded. " All that matters is that we beat him. We beat him without getting hurt. And we're gonna finish this adventure together! I know you're capable of it. If you can face your greatest fear and keep on fighting, it doesn't matter that you're afraid, because you don't let it paralyze you. You keep on going. That's true courage. I mean, how do you think I deal with places like Labyrinth Zone? I'm scared of drowning, but I still press on! And you do, too. "

Metal Sonic found himself smiling a little in spite of himself. While Sonic was reckless and idealistic, there were moments where he showed wisdom, being surprisingly insightful, and this was definitely one of them. Metal commented with a smile, " Labyrinth Zone wasn't _that_ bad, " since he had gone through there multiple times years ago. Sonic replied with a chuckle, " Well, _you_ can't drown, " choosing not to comment on the revelation that Metal Sonic had been there before.

Sonic stood up and looked through the wreckage of the Eggmobile's modifications, and quickly found the purple Chaos Emerald, which transformed into energy and was absorbed into his aura with the other emeralds he had found. " Did I… Was he injured? " Metal Sonic asked nervously, hoping Sonic wouldn't stop trusting him from expressing concern about his creator. As much as he resented Eggman, he still didn't want to be responsible for injuring the man who gave him life.

Sonic said cheerfully, " Nah. He'll be fine, " smiling in approval at his showing of compassion. With Metal Sonic following him, Sonic walked away from the wreckage and left the arena where he had fought Eggman, going from the casino to a grassy field under a starry night sky.  
Sonic laid down on the grass with a smile with his arms beneath his head, looking up at the stars, and said, " I think now's about the time to call it a day. " Metal Sonic asked in confusion, " Really? We're taking a break? What about Eggman? " Sonic chuckled and said, " You didn't really think I completed all of my adventures without sleeping, did you? Even Eggman needs to sleep at night. We'll pick this adventure up in the morning. "

Metal Sonic laid down on the grass next to a tree across from Sonic. He was relieved that he could get any sleep at all. It had never occurred to him that Sonic took breaks from his adventures to sleep at night, and he needed all the sleep he could get. The previous fight had left him exhausted, to the point where even though he was going to be sleeping outside on the grass instead of in a bed, he didn't complain at all.

* * *

Author's Notes: Labyrinth Zone isn't that bad, people. It certainly has problems – like extremely cheap badnik placement and a section where the corks can rise up without you and you drown - but compared to nightmares like Aqua Lake Zone and Blue Marine Zone, it's a cakewalk. I'm not even saying that because I got good at it, I played it for the first time and didn't think it was so bad.


	23. Chapter 23

When Metal Sonic woke up, he was confused and worried at lying down on the grass instead of in a bed, and it took a few seconds for him to remember his situation. He sat up from the ground, yawning and stretching, and immediately decided to check what time it was, visualizing a Check Time icon and it being clicked, and looking at his wrist, where from his perspective, numbers indicating the time of day had shown up. " 7:00 again? Since when… " Metal Sonic whispered in confusion, still not used to the fact that he had stopped waking up so early in the morning ever since he had joined Sonic's side.

When he turned to face Sonic, he was surprised and worried to find out that he was gone. But before he could spend more than a minute panicking and worrying that he had been kidnapped or left without him, a blue blur went from the horizon to right in front of him in an instant and revealed itself to be Sonic the Hedgehog. He chuckled and said lightheartedly, " Morning, Metal! Sorry if I worried you, but I couldn't start the morning without a bite to eat! I went over to the nearby town and got myself a grilled cheese sandwich! Already ate it! Hope you don't mind. "

Embarrassed at revealing how worried he was, Metal Sonic said with his arms crossed, " Oh, uh, no, of course not. Um, we should resume the mission. We don't know how long that idiot scientist is going to wait for us. " With that, he flew away at the speed of sound, causing Sonic to run after him with a smile of amusement. It wasn't that he liked seeing him embarrassed, it was more that he found it easier to relate to him and sympathize with him because of it. It humanized him, and put him at ease because of it.

When the two of them sped through the grassy meadow at the speed of sound, they soon reached Hill Top Zone, and stopped for a brief moment to look around. Metal Sonic looked at the ground and said in confusion, " This place never really made sense to me. How is the soil _blue?_ How is _grass_ coexisting with _lava?_ Why isn't this place a rocky volcanic wasteland when there's lava everywhere? "

Sonic replied, " I've been to lots of crazy places in my adventures. From what Tails and Knuckles have told me, they're what happens when too much of the world's natural chaos energy is in one place. After a while, reality gets distorted and crazy things start to happen! At its best, the landscapes start changing, and we get loop de loops and stuff. At its worst, we've got the special stages. I think this place looks pretty nice with the blue ground and red lava contrasting each other. It's almost beautiful! But doesn't it look a _little_ familiar? " He chuckled, and noticed that Metal Sonic was looking embarrassed again.

" I've been here a lot as a kid, " he admitted, assuming Sonic was teasing him about his previous obsession with surpassing him. Feeling guilty about accidentally embarrassing him, Sonic said cheerfully, " No, I mean, it sort of reminds me of Emerald Hill Zone. But that's just me. They're both grassy fields, so it's only natural they'd look like each other. "

Metal Sonic replied with a serious expression, " Except for the lava everywhere. The idiot scientist once told me that lava was one of the _only_ things that could _destroy_ me. I'd have to completely fall into it, but still, it's dangerous. I could avoid it by flying over it, and there's always ring energy to protect me. But you can't fly over it, so be careful. " With that, he flew ahead at the speed of sound, and Sonic ran after him to catch up with him.

Hill Top Zone seemed to resemble Emerald Hill Zone, but there were key differences between the two of them. The meadow was full of lava pits and underground caverns, having possibly been created by earthquakes, and it was an area of high elevation where Sonic had to use vine chairlifts to travel from higher to lower paths, while Metal Sonic simply flew over them, and seesaws with red spheres on them that Sonic used to launch upwards, while Metal Sonic flew over them. The meadow was full of pine trees and blue rocks, the latter of which Sonic could run into.

At least two of the loops in the area required Metal Sonic to curl up into a ball to break through the rocky ground and progress, which he remembered had annoyed him when he discovered the first one, requiring him to go through the loop-shaped formation of ground a second time in a row. The most memorable badniks of the hilly peaks were the pink fireball-shooting spike-covered snakes that were apparently capable of existing just fine in the lava, something that made Metal Sonic a little jealous as he ripped them apart while flying through the meadow, just like all of the other robots in his way.

At one point while Sonic and Metal Sonic were travelling through an underground cavern in the area, they found themselves having to quickly jump from platform to platform to avoid the rising lava, which was easily Metal Sonic's least favorite part of Hill Top Zone. While he wasn't really afraid of lava, it still made him cautious, considering that it was one of his only weaknesses. With the two of them moving at the speed of sound and Metal Sonic's experience with the area and flight, it didn't take long for them to reach the end of it, where Eggman was waiting.

* * *

Author's Notes: I must be the only person in the world who doesn't really hate Hill Top Zone. I mean, I don't like going through it, but the aesthetic never bothered me. Funny story, the second time I went through this place, I jumped into one of the pink lava snakes as Super Sonic, and the game froze on me. Can you believe it? It froze, and I had to replay all the levels I already beat. Of course, since the game's a lot more fun as Super Sonic because the badnik placement is rendered irrelevant when you're invincible, I actually didn't mind replaying the levels again. But still, has this happened to anybody else? It scared me away from ever attacking one of those badniks as Super Sonic again. Sonic 2 definitely has its fair share of glitches! Now, for my technical issues. Apparently, the 50 document limit thing wasn't as bad as I thought, it's supposed to be a temporary holding place for documents where I can edit them at will. Wish they told me that! So I didn't delete Cliffhanger, I just can't edit it now, as I found out from searching from it afterwards. So I can still publish new chapters of the story, thank god, I'll just have to remove from my document storage some stories. I won't have to edit any of them much anyways, since I wouldn't have posted them if they needed editing in the first place. So everything's good! I just wish they actually told me about all this when I signed up instead of me having to figure it out myself and then reading an email telling me what I had already figured out a day later. Sorry I sorta freaked out, but considering I was worried I couldn't publish anymore, you can't really blame me. I want to publish for as long as I still have ideas in my head. Things are looking up! As usual, a new chapter will be tomorrow! I would've published this chapter at like 7:00, but the site wouldn't load and I had to spend 2 hours trying to load it up to publish this.


	24. Chapter 24

When Sonic and Metal Sonic reached Eggman, he was waiting for them in a modified Eggmobile that looked strikingly similar to the one he had used in Hill Top Zone before. The only differences were the laser-shooting cannons and thick metal armor on it, creating more to dodge and extending the fight. Sonic wondered if Eggman was just feeling lazy when he came up with his latest big plan, considering how little he had changed it. Metal Sonic, on the other hand, was just relieved to see through the window of the Eggmobile that he hadn't injured him in his previous fight with him, although he didn't show it, remaining in an offensive position looking as serious as ever.

As soon as he laid eyes on Metal Sonic, Eggman looked alarmed and immediately started the fight with a panic. The implication that his own creator was afraid of him made him uncomfortable and upset, as upset as a regular person would be at their own father being afraid of them. But as usual, he didn't say anything about it, didn't show how he was feeling, and kept doing what he would do normally. He wasn't going to let it get to him. He was on Sonic's side now, and if that meant Eggman would be afraid of him because he was opposing him with such destructive power, then so be it.

Eggman attacked with a fire-spewing machine that was completely undamaged by the lava it was in, submerging his machine in the lava ever so often after sending long waves of fire jets towards Sonic and Metal Sonic and resurfacing afterwards. The grassy platforms in the arena were constantly set on fire, burning the grass away, and thanks to the lasers shot out of Eggman's Eggmobile, the two of them had yet another thing to dodge. The beginning of the fight was the hardest, with Sonic having to stay on the grassy platforms avoiding the fire and lasers as Metal Sonic tore through the metal armor of the Eggmobile with his Burning Claw Swipe attack as he flew above it with his boost activated. But after he destroyed the armor and the laser cannons, Sonic was able to safely homing-attack into the Eggmobile whenever it resurfaced from the lava.

After that, the only part of the battle that gave them trouble was whenever the Eggmobile submerged itself in the lava and shot numerous flame jets at them that seemed impossible to dodge. But all Metal Sonic had to do was stand close to Sonic, put his arms over his chest in an X shape in a defensive position and activate his Black Shield in less than half of the time of the blink of an eye, and both him and Sonic became protected from the flame jets by a crystal-shaped force field that deflected the fire away. Sonic was thankful for that, remembering how the previous time, he would always get hit by the flame jets and if it weren't for ring energy protecting him, and his ability to regain the rings scattered away from him afterwards, he would've lost for sure. The fight was a simple process of Sonic and Metal Sonic homing-attacking the Eggmobile from different sides whenever they could and Metal Sonic using his Black Shield to deflect the flame jets. The only reason it lasted for over a minute was because of how much more defense the Eggmobile had.

Eventually, Eggman flew away from the wreckage in his Eggmobile as the wreckage sank into the lava, and Sonic cheered at winning the fight. " Thanks, Metal! I couldn't have gotten this far without you, " he said with his arm around him and a smile of approval, making him smile slightly in spite of himself. " T-Thanks, " the robot replied shyly, still not being sure how to respond to being thanked by someone. " I hope there wasn't a Chaos Emerald in that wreckage, " he said nervously with his arms crossed, staring into the lava. Sonic shook his head and said with nostalgic happiness,

" Eggman would _never_ let a Chaos Emerald fall into the lava. I remember one time, I had almost fallen into the lava in Underground Zone, and Eggman actually caught me with a crane on his Eggmobile and brought me up to safety, just to fight me afterwards! Why? Because I had found the Chaos Emerald in that minecart-filled place and he didn't want to lose it forever! Good times… " Metal commented, " That, and he probably didn't want the lava to steal his victory over you, " knowing from personal experience that it must have been the case. Even when he was a kid and claimed to hate Sonic more than anyone else, he wouldn't have let Sonic fall into the lava, either.

" Yeah, that was part of it. But it was mostly about the emerald. I don't know if anyone could get a Chaos Emerald back from the lava. Would it be destroyed and stay there forever? I mean, Eggman once broke Chaos Emeralds into pieces and used them to power robots, so I know they can be _broken apart_ without the universe imploding, but could they be completely destroyed? Man, I'm glad SWORD didn't get a chance to find that out, " Sonic said, looking worried for once. But the frown of worry disappeared from his face as soon as it appeared, as he immediately smiled and said, " Come on, let's go, Metal! Our next destination awaits us! " and ran off into the distance, causing Metal Sonic to fly after him to follow him.

* * *

Author's Notes: It makes sense that someone as optimistic and adventure-loving as Sonic would look back on all of his adventures with nostalgic fondness, even one as hard as Sonic 2 for the Master System. Well, to be fair, I still got enjoyment out of that game and beat it, despite its knockback being ridiculous and that horrible water level. It was a fun challenge for me, although I played the Master System version on the Virtual Console, so I didn't have to worry about any screen crunch. The Chaos Emeralds being broken apart thing is a reference to Sonic Battle, in case you didn't know. Hope you enjoyed it, not that I'd know, and see you tomorrow!


	25. Chapter 25

It didn't take long for Sonic and Metal Sonic to reach Mystic Cave Zone at last. Metal Sonic stated, " It's going to get even more dangerous from this point onwards. Be careful, " with his arms crossed and a serious expression. " Hey, a Chaos Emerald! " Sonic said with excitement, having gotten the red emerald, not entirely listening to his warning. The emerald transformed into red energy and was absorbed into his aura, letting him keep it in his possession. " Only two more to go! Come on, Metal! " he said eagerly before running off at the speed of sound, causing Metal Sonic to roll his eyes at his optimism and fly after him.

Mystic Cave was full of moss-covered rocks and dangling vines, with green long plants that would rise and fall from the ceiling and threaten to crush anything beneath them, large wooden boxes that floated in a square-shaped path that Metal Sonic boosted through effortlessly, breakable floors, spikes, and moving platforms. Being full of Eggman's traps, it was certainly a step up in the difficulty from what they had experienced so far. The cave was inhabited by snake-shaped badniks, blue and yellow worm badniks that sprung out from hiding places, and firefly badniks with irritating force fields protecting them, and Metal Sonic made sure to tear apart each and every one of them with unnecessary viciousness. There were several walls blocking the way forwards that were lowered to form bridges upon Sonic grabbing and pulling down certain vines on the ceiling. Metal Sonic and Sonic soon came to an agreement that Metal Sonic would not pull down the vines, because he could fly above any potential pit of spikes below him while Sonic couldn't.

When Sonic and Metal Sonic finally reached Eggman, he immediately attacked with a double-barreled drilling machine that was outfitted with thick armor and laser-shooting cannons, and dropped exploding mines from the bottom. It tunneled into the ceiling of the cave above it, causing rocks and stalactites to fall that were deflected by Metal Sonic's Black Shield, which Sonic was thankful for. After sending falling debris at the two of them, Eggman's modified Eggmobile left the ceiling, and he sent it flying at them with the drills on it pointed towards them, and then returned to the ceiling to send debris falling once again. Every time there was an opportunity to attack, Metal Sonic activated his boost and sliced the Eggmobile's armor with his flaming claws as Sonic distracted Eggman from the ground, running away from the drills and skillfully dodging the lasers and mines with a smile. At one point, Sonic ran in a circle around the Eggmobile as soon as it descended from the ceiling to create a tornado around it that caught it in the whirling wind and threw it to the ground with a slamming sound, causing it to malfunction. After a minute of fighting, Metal Sonic finished it off with a flaming homing-attack slicing through it and cutting the drills off.

With the fight finally finished, Metal Sonic stood on the ground with his arms crossed while Eggman flew away from the wreckage in his Eggmobile, shouting angrily, " I'll make you pay for this! " and left the two of them alone. Sonic cheered, and said with excitement, " That was fun! " Metal Sonic shrugged apathetically, and Sonic said lightheartedly, " Aw, you're no fun! " causing him to roll his eyes.

Sonic commented unhappily, " It looks like he's heading towards Oil Ocean Zone again. I can't believe he caused _another_ oil spill there! Why would he pollute it like that? " Metal Sonic shrugged and replied, " Beats me. I can't think of any way it would _benefit_ him. If anything, it seems illogical for him, considering that it's a waste of perfectly good oil, and you could probably cause the entire place to combust in flames just by lighting a match. Oil _is_ flammable, after all. "

This naturally caused Sonic to look at him with a worried expression. " What?... Oh, right. My boost. I won't use it there. The last thing we need is the whole area going up in flames with us in it because of me, " Metal Sonic said nervously. Sonic sighed with relief and said, " Thank goodness, " and ran off in a blue blur. As he flew after him at the speed of sound, Metal Sonic couldn't help but worry if Sonic was getting tired of him.

Author's Notes: This was my least favorite chapter to write, mainly because I had nothing to say about the level.


	26. Chapter 26

When Sonic arrived at Oil Ocean Zone, with the sun setting already, he had an annoyed look on his face, not liking seeing a place that was so polluted. Noticing that Metal Sonic was nervous from seeing it, he smiled and said, " It's alright, Metal. I just don't like seeing this pollution everywhere. Come on, let's go! " and ran ahead with Metal Sonic flying after him, remembering not to use his boost with all the flammable oil everywhere. The area they travelled through was an oil refinery of Eggman's that he set up illegally at a coast on Westside Island. It had taken years to clean all of the oil from the sea, and Eggman had just come in and polluted it again, something that Sonic was more than a little annoyed by. All Eggman had to do was return the place to functionality and it gained an ocean of oil that was thick enough to be jumped through.

If Mystic Cave Zone hadn't been dangerous enough, Oil Ocean Zone certainly was, with a massive amount of spikes scattered everywhere, pink seahorse badniks that flew towards Sonic and Metal, pink round badniks that shot rocks at them from their snouts from an incredibly large distance, green platforms that got sent flying upwards periodically with fire beneath them that Sonic had to jump to, a large amount of cannons that would shoot them to other cannons for an extended period of time, and multiple slides. The oil refinery was so dangerous that it was ultimately better to keep it slow and jump everywhere rather than stick to Sonic's tried and true method of running ahead as fast as possible, something Sonic had to learn the hard way.

There were so many deadly traps and robots that Sonic and even Metal Sonic ended up getting hit and needing to regain ring energy to protect them multiple times. " I've never liked this place, either, " Metal admitted to Sonic, who nodded in agreement. In fact, the only good part about their experience with Oil Ocean Zone was that in the middle of it, Sonic found the dark blue Chaos Emerald. " Yes! Only one more left! " he said happily as the emerald floated towards him and absorbed into his aura for safekeeping.

By the time they reached Eggman, the sun was almost below the horizon. Eggman, who was in an Eggmobile modified to be a submarine, announced proudly in his usual hammy way, " I'm not emerging from the oil this time! You'll have _no way_ of defeating me! " using a loudspeaker to get the message out as his submarine submerged into the oil as soon as he saw them. Sonic looked worried, until Metal Sonic told him, " I've got a plan, " and Sonic smiled and gave him a thumbs up. While Sonic had to jump from platform to platform dodging the blue fire, long snake-shaped metal and blue lasers aimed for him, Metal Sonic flew straight under the oil and proceeded to fly in a circle around Eggman at the speed of sound as his Eggmobile futilely tried to move away from him. The speed of his flight was decreased from the thickness of the oil he had to fly through, but it was still enough that after a couple of seconds, he was able to create a whirlpool surrounding the Eggmobile, using the Blue Tornado technique he had taught himself five years ago under the oil.

After a whirlpool formed to trap the panicking Eggman, Metal Sonic flew just below the Eggmobile while flying in a circle around it, extending the whirlpool to below Eggman, and started flying upwards as he managed to create a tornado under the oil that forcefully launched the Eggmobile out of the oil and onto the platform across from where Sonic was standing. It landed with a loud crashing sound, and Eggman started desperately mashing buttons to send lasers at them and shoot fire and metal snakes at them simultaneously as Sonic and Metal Sonic became free to rapidly homing-attack and spindash through the Eggmobile to destroy the modifications to it. Metal Sonic sliced through the thin laser-shooting metal tower that used to rise out of the oil and attack Sonic, casting it into the oil below, all the while remembering not to use his fire attack against the oil-stained Eggmobile.

Soon, Eggman was defeated, and flew away from them in his regular Eggmobile away from the wreckage, muttering in frustration about how his perfect battle strategy had failed to work because of Metal Sonic. Upon looking through the wreckage, Sonic found exactly what he needed, the gray Chaos Emerald. " Yes! Thanks, Metal! " Sonic cheered, and was about to give him a hi-five until he remembered that the robot was covered in oil. However, all Metal Sonic had to do was fly in a circle at the speed of sound to throw all of the oil off him. Sonic chuckled and said, " Good thing neither of us can get dizzy! Hi-five! " and Metal Sonic found himself smiling a little and letting him do it.

Sonic said, " It looks like Eggman's heading towards that factory over there. It must be Metropolis Zone! We've gotta hurry! " Metal Sonic said unhappily, " So we're not going to sleep for the night? " Sonic shook his head and said with concern, " Nuh-uh! If he's really repeating the same plan with just a few minor tweaks, then that means he built a fourth Death Egg to threaten the planet into giving him control of it! He'll probably escape to it and threaten the world without waiting for us to show up in Metropolis Zone and chase him there. We might have to stay up tonight… Is that alright with you? "

Metal Sonic knew that he needed his sleep, and didn't want to stay up all night, especially not while expending energy the whole time. But he had spent almost his entire life not getting the optimal amount of recharge time. He was used to not having enough sleep, not getting to sleep until 10 and waking up at 4 in the morning, and he knew from experience that his batteries could last at least three days, provided that he had no missions and didn't do anything during the night other than tossing and turning. And most importantly of all, Sonic was counting on him. He couldn't let him down. He couldn't betray him by abandoning him when the entire mission so far had proved that he needed him. So instead of complaining about it more, Metal Sonic shrugged and said nonchalantly in an aloof demeanor, " I've gone days without sleep before. I'll be fine. " Looked shocked and concerned, Sonic exclaimed, " Just what kind of missions does Eggman send you on?! " not approving of the idea of Eggman forcing him to stay up for days on end. Noticing Metal Sonic's nervous reaction, Sonic calmed himself down, forced a cheery smile and said, " Ah, never mind. Come on, Metal! " with a carefree demeanor before running off at the speed of sound.

* * *

Author's Notes: I never liked Oil Ocean Zone. I love the way the sky looks in the background and the music is really great, but there's too many traps and too much platforming for you to go at high speeds and enjoy yourself. And am I the only one who sees the Octus badniks in this level and gets reminded of Octoroks from Zelda? Bah, whatever. See you tomorrow!


	27. Chapter 27

Neither Sonic or Metal Sonic were looking forward to what was to come as they entered Metropolis Zone again. They found himself in an industrial plant. Meter-wide screws and bolts were everywhere, some of which required attempting to run on them to bring them up or down a gray pillar, something Sonic didn't really appreciate. There were crushers coming from the walls, ceilings and floors, plenty of sections with tiny platforms moving along a fixed path straight out of Labyrinth Zone, and floating conveyor belts. There were multiple sections where yellow triangular objects lined the walls and would spring Sonic in a diagonal line towards the wall across from them. It was sections like that which made Metal Sonic all the more grateful that he could fly, skipping some of the obstacles that Sonic had to go through. The middle and final third of Metropolis Zone introduced a threat in the form of lakes of lava, something that Metal Sonic was careful around.

But the most dangerous threat of Metropolis Zone were the badniks. Green robots in the shape of praying mantises threw sharp scythe boomerangs far ahead of them with their highly sensitive vision, and their placement in the industrial plant combined with their attacks led to them being an almost unavoidable threat. Self-destructing starfish badniks were placed in areas where they could easily knock Sonic off the giant screws used to move upwards through the factory, giving him no way of avoiding their attacks. One of the worst badniks took the form of crab robots with giant claws that extended far from their bodies and were positioned in the most irritating of places. The robots of Metropolis Zone were such a threat that Sonic was incredibly thankful for once for the fact that Metal Sonic was fixated on viciously destroying every badnik he came across, flying ahead of him and getting rid of any robots in his way. At first, he had found it disturbing, as if Metal Sonic craved destruction, but now that the badniks he was dealing with were a serious threat, Metal's need to take his anger out on any robots he came across made his adventure a lot easier.

Sonic sighed in relief upon reaching the end of Metropolis Zone, and said eagerly upon reaching Eggman, " Another round with those silly lookalikes! Show us what you've got! " which got a confused look from Metal Sonic, who was unfamiliar with his reference. Instead of surrounding himself with smaller Eggmobiles with mannequins resembling himself in them, Eggman revealed that his Eggmobile was surrounded by giant black bombs that rotated around it in a spinning and rotating oval shape, that would explode upon contact. If that wasn't bad enough, the bottom of the Eggmobile repeatedly shot lasers to the floor at an unpredictable rate. Even Sonic was wondering if it would even be possible to survive the fight if it weren't for the ring energy he had protecting him.

However, after only half a minute, one of the bombs surrounding the Eggmobile crashed into a wall and exploded, damaging the Eggmobile as a result. Metal Sonic immediately told Sonic, " I've got an idea. Follow my lead! " and kept himself right up against the four walls of the now enclosed arena as he flew in a square around it. Sonic followed behind him, quickly realizing that they were successfully tricking Eggman into flying the Eggmobile close enough to the walls that the bombs rotating around it would hit them and explode. " Good thinking, Metal! " Sonic said happily, as the eighteen bombs surrounding Eggman smacked into walls and exploded one by one. They had put Eggman in a no-win situation; either he chased after them and ended up damaging his own vehicle, or he stayed put and made the bombs and lasers have no chance of attacking his targets as long as they stayed near the walls. With no other method of attacking, he had no choice but to damage his own Eggmobile as he flew it towards Sonic and Metal Sonic and they effortlessly dodged all of his attacks.

Two minutes of explosions later and Eggman was flying his regular Eggmobile out of the wreckage defeated, heading out of the industrial plant and up to what looked like a flying airship in the sky. Sonic simply sat down to peel back the sole of his left shoe and take a communicator out of it, turned it on and called Tails. " Hey, Tails! We need you to bring the Tornado-1 to Westside Island! Eggman flew away to some airship and we can't catch up with him! " Sonic said into the communicator. Metal Sonic heard Tails say, " Will do! Where are you? " and immediately answered with their exact coordinates, surprising and impressing Sonic. Tails replied, " Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can! " and the communicator turned off.

Sonic said with a smile, " Great job! I didn't think you had a GPS in you. " Embarrassed, Metal Sonic admitted, " I don't. I've been here so often that I memorized the coordinates. I came here so often as a kid trying to get better at all the places you went through for the sake of it. It never made me feel better. It was just a pointless waste of time… " Feeling sorry for him, Sonic said with a smile, " Hey, it wasn't a _total_ waste of time! By memorizing the areas in Westside Island, you were able to go on this adventure with me a lot easier! " Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile a little at hearing that. Sonic always knew what to say. " Thank you, " he replied, hoping Tails would show up soon.

* * *

Author's Notes: Metropolis Zone is just horrible about its badnik placement. The badniks themselves aren't so bad, except the damn Shellcrackers and their wonky hit boxes. It's their placement that makes the level unbearable. However, just like with every level in Sonic 2, playing it with Super Sonic makes it actually really fun, or at least tolerable, because Super Sonic makes the badnik placement of the game a non-issue. Hope you liked it, I can't wait to be done with this story arc.


	28. Chapter 28

Sonic and Metal Sonic knew that it would take a long time for Tails to reach them from the Mystic Ruins, so they decided to get some sleep that night while they waited. By the next morning, Tails had landed the Tornado-1 nearby and they were woken up by the sound of the plane. Sonic looked over at Tails, who was holding a ham and cheese sandwich out for him saying, " I brought you some breakfast, " and he gladly took it from him and jumped onto the wing of the plane. Upon seeing Metal Sonic about to strap himself into the back seat, Sonic said, " Not right now! If memory serves me correctly, there's probably gonna be a bunch of badniks attacking us in the sky. "

Before Sonic could even request help, Metal Sonic replied, " I wouldn't be much help in the back seat, then. Fine, I'll stand on the other wing, but only for today! I can always fly back up if something happens. " With that, he flew up to the other wing of the plane and reluctantly stood on it, being grateful that Tails had built it sturdy enough to withstand his weight, and Sonic gave him a thumbs up while starting to eat his breakfast as Tails brought the plane up into the sky. 

After a couple of minutes of Tails flying the plane through the sky as Sonic and Metal Sonic attacked the flying bird badniks racing towards them, they finally caught up with the airship. Metal remarked under his breath, " Finally. That was boring, " and Sonic, who had finished his breakfast by that point, told Tails, " Alright, little buddy, you're gonna have to be careful bringing us here so your plane doesn't get shot down. We'll jump onto the airship and you'll fly the plane around it and wait for us to show up at the end, alright? " Happy to help, Tails nodded and said, " Got it! I'll see you there! " and the two of them jumped off the plane, with Tails narrowly avoiding being shot down by Eggman's lasers again as he started flying around the airship, which Metal Sonic had quickly deduced was called the Wing Fortress Mk II.

The red airship had many opportunities for Sonic to fall to his death, from grabbing onto U-shaped bars right next to the flaming engines at the bottom of it and jumping off them onto floating platforms, to jumping along retractable platforms that were for some reason installed on the side of the ship, to being thrown over wide open spaces by launcher chairs that were necessary to progress. Vertical spinning propeller blades were in many different parts of the airship and functioned as yet another deadly trap. And yet, despite all of the different ways that Sonic could potentially fall to his doom, he still felt like the airship was a lot safer than Metropolis Zone, with hardly any badniks to be found. Metal Sonic agreed with the sentiment, although since he could fly, he didn't have much reason to worry. In fact, the only reason he didn't speed too far ahead of Sonic was to make sure he could catch him if the impossible happened and he actually did end up falling to his death. Thankfully, nothing of the sort transpired, and the two of them safely made it to Eggman.

Sonic and Metal Sonic were trapped in an enclosed area with walls on every side of them and a transparent bulletproof window between them and Eggman. On the ceiling was a meter-wide laser-shooter that started glowing from blue to orange as it charged up a powerful laser to blast them. Eggman bragged, " I've learned from my past mistakes! This time, not only are there no platforms to bring you up to the laser-shooter, but the floor is made of reinforced steel that is immune to the laser itself! It's impossible for you two to survive! " only for Metal Sonic to proceed to fly up to the laser-shooter and homing-attack it with his boost activated at every opportunity he could, with only Sonic being in any danger. It only took a minute for Metal Sonic to destroy the laser-shooter on the ceiling, and deadpanned, " Well, that was underwhelming, " as he used his flaming claws to slice through the glass window and make it possible for Sonic and him to chase after Eggman, who had flown away from them in what looked like a fighter plane headed for a massive spherical fortress shaped like his head up in space.

Just like Sonic expected, Tails was waiting for them, flying his plane up to them for them to jump onto. He brought them over to a flying fighter plane that was following behind Eggman on autopilot to protect him, and Metal Sonic jumped into the front seat of it as Sonic got into the back, letting him handle the controls and fly it after Eggman as Tails waved goodbye and landed the plane on the ground below. It didn't take very long at all at the speed the plane was flying for them to catch up with Eggman and enter the fourth Death Egg, where he was waiting for them.

Author's Notes: I mostly skipped over Sky Chase Zone because it's ridiculously boring. Would you wanna read about Sonic and Metal Sonic repeatedly jumping into badniks from Tails' plane and doing nothing else? I don't think so. Wing Fortress Zone has this launcher chair that will launch you to your death if you don't think to hold forwards while you're in it. I remember absolutely hating that thing for making me fall to my death multiple times. I didn't even notice what launched me at first, so I was worried that a glitch happened to blow me off the airship and kill me over and over again.


	29. Chapter 29

When Sonic and Metal Sonic reached the fourth Death Egg, they found two potential paths that they could take, behind two locked steel doors. Metal Sonic activated his boost to make himself wreathed in flames and sliced at each of the doors with his flaming claws, creating entrances to both paths without having to unlock the doors at all. Then, he turned to Sonic and stated with a serious expression, " We don't know which path is the right one, so the most optimal decision is to split up. I'll take the right path, and you'll take the left path. Deal? " Sonic gave him a thumbs up and said, " Deal! " and the two of them separated.

" Awesome! This is convenient! " Sonic exclaimed happily at finding a massive room full of rings. He commented, " If I collect all of these, I'll be able to go Super Sonic and stay that way long enough to make the next fight with Eggman a piece of cake! " while running and jumping through the room, letting the ring energy absorb into him.

Metal Sonic's path was not nearly as fortunate. After flying down a dark hallway at the speed of sound, he found himself in a large room with Eggman sitting in the cockpit of a modified Eggmobile waiting for him with a smug smile. The door to the room closed automatically behind him, and Eggman said with a smirk, " I _knew_ that you would tell Sonic to take the other path. You're so predictable. Now you'll have to fight me yourself! I'll be taking you back to my base before you know it! Now, _marvel_ at my _brilliant_ invention, the Big Arm! "

Metal Sonic deadpanned with his arms crossed, " You mean the same invention that the Egg-Robo built five years ago to face Knuckles after he betrayed you? _Brilliant_ idea, imbecile, _real_ original. If it failed once, it'll fail again. " Eggman stammered angrily and exclaimed, " Who are you calling an imbecile?! " Metal Sonic shrugged and said resentfully, " I've called you one for nearly my entire life, more than I've even called you by your name. Haven't you been _paying attention?_ " Eggman growled and yelled, " For the _last time,_ a robot can't have a li- "

But before he could even finish the sentence, Metal Sonic had activated his boost and launched himself at the cockpit of the machine curled up in a ball with fire surrounding him, slamming into it at 3,072 miles per hour to deliver the first hit. " You interrupted me! That's cheating! Oh, now you're going to get it! " Eggman exclaimed, and started the fight immediately.

The Big Arm was a large modified Eggmobile with spikes on its top and two large mechanical hands just below the cockpit, which were capable of grabbing its opponent and then slamming him into the ground. It had two small red rotors attached to the back of it that allowed it to hover forwards in the air, and was red and black everywhere except the cockpit itself, which looked the same. Due to the spikes on the top of the cockpit and the wide arms below, the Big Arm had a very small area where it could be attacked. The only opportunity to attack it was whenever it flew from one side of the arena to the other in a downwards or upwards swooping arc. At first, Metal Sonic had some difficulty with the fight, as the spikes and hands of the Big Arm turned out to be fireproof and he couldn't slice through them, but after a half a minute of dodging his attacks, he remembered a certain upgrade that Eggman had given him five years ago; the Instashield.

He jumped towards the cockpit in ball form, apparently not getting close enough to hit it or be grabbed by the mechanical hands, only to surprise and infuriate Eggman when a white spinning force field suddenly appeared just above the robot for a split-second and sliced at the cockpit like a natural extension of his sharp spines. All he had to do was mentally create vibrations in the air molecules just above him, and he was able to use a wind attack on the cockpit. Combining that with his boost being active at the time, and the wind spiral was instantly combined with fire and did even more damage to the cockpit than expected. Flying upwards and raining down a barrage of lasers at him from above, Eggman shouted, " I should've never given you that upgrade! " as Metal Sonic dodged the lasers one by one. Using the Instashield turned out to be an effective tactic, reliably damaging it without jumping into spikes or getting grabbed by the mechanical hands.

After two minutes of the fight, the Big Arm's rotors malfunctioned and it fell to the floor with a crashing sound, with the red and black parts of it still being there and as fireproof as ever. Eggman was even more alarmed when Metal Sonic decided to use another upgrade he had given him. He seemed to be charging up a spindash, but Eggman could see white-green balls of light appearing and flying into him after travelling in oval-shaped paths spread out in various directions away from him. After two seconds of charging up, he started glowing light blue and launched himself at the red and black armor of the Big Arm spindashing through it at the speed of light, using the Light Speed Attack to finally finish it off, leaving Eggman sitting in his regular Eggmobile with the wreckage of its modifications scattered around him.

Panicking and trying to hide it with anger, Eggman shouted, " I'm not finished yet, you undisciplined _delinquent!_ " jumped out of the cockpit, ran up to the wall across from the room's entrance and caused it to rise upwards and reveal the entrance to another room with a machine in it upon doing a retina scan on him. The mechanism caused the door blocking the entrance to the arena to automatically open, letting Sonic run in at the speed of sound and say happily, " Great job, Metal, I knew you could do it! " He smiled at him in approval and gave him a thumbs up, and Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile at that, deeply appreciating the fact that he was getting the respect of the person he was based on, and for once, he felt like he earned it, at least for now.

Unfortunately, he was so distracted by his appreciation that he failed to notice Eggman entering the cockpit of a new, gigantic machine in the next room, and Sonic shouted, " Look! " as its rocket boosters activated and it flew out of the nearby window into space. Not being deterred, Sonic said with excitement, " I'm leaving it to you to shut down the Death Egg! I'll see you after the fight, Metal! " while activating his Super Sonic form, mentally using the ring energy he had absorbed to activate all seven of the Chaos Emeralds in his aura. As Sonic turned a golden color and his spines stood up higher, Metal Sonic saluted him and flew out of the Death Egg Mk 4 in the other direction, knowing to leave the rest to him.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah, the Big Arm. I remember how hard it was to beat it in Sonic 3 for the Mega Collection, how many tries it took. To beat it, I had to repeatedly collect the 24 rings I could access after the point of no return before the first boss, and if I got hit during beating the first and second boss, I'd get killed on purpose and do it all over again. There REALLY should be a shield box near the last checkpoint of Launch Base Zone Act 2, and why they put a ring box there instead, I'll never know. Making you fight three bosses in a row with no checkpoints or extra rings in between? Ugh. At least I'm really good at beating the first two bosses now. Either way, I was so happy at finally beating it that I shouted, " Yes! " multiple times! That was a great day. And since canonically, Eggman's never fought Sonic with the Big Arm (except in Generations 3DS), I figured what better boss to go with for Metal Sonic's fight with him than a boss he's never used before? Plus you might have been expecting a revamp of the final boss of Sonic 2 and I wanted to throw you a curveball. See you tomorrow, where we'll finally get this adventure arc done. Update: And yep, this damn chapter undid my editing, too. I know for a FACT that I edited it because I changed it to have Sonic tell Metal to shut down the Death Egg, and I just had to do that all over again.


	30. Chapter 30

While Metal Sonic got to work shutting down the Death Egg, Sonic flew after Eggman in his super form, collecting ring energy as his own slowly depleted one by one. Eggman was in the cockpit of a gigantic red and black machine flying backwards away from him. He shot missiles at Sonic in different directions, not for the purpose of attempting to hurt someone who was currently invincible, but to knock him back and make it more likely that he would run out of rings before defeating him. Upon seeing the missiles heading towards him, Sonic smirked and dashed into them at over the speed of sound, sending the missiles back towards Eggman's machine and damaging it with the resulting explosions. Unfortunately, the explosions always caused debris from Eggman's mecha to break off and become another obstacle for him to dodge as the debris was sent flying towards him from the explosion.

In addition to sending missiles at him, the machine sent a massive amount of energy balls in every direction that Sonic had to dodge as he flew after it. It had a launcher on the bottom that fired homing rockets at him, and three cannons on its side that fired energy balls at him. The area of space he was flying through spent most of its time being overcrowded with obstacles for him to dodge as he flew up, down, left and right avoiding attacks and sending any missiles headed towards him flying back at Eggman. Despite the risky situation he was in, Sonic was having fun, enjoying the challenge and the sense of speed he felt from racing after Eggman's mecha through space.

Several minutes passed, with Tails flying his biplane through the sky below with Metal Sonic in the back seat, waiting for Sonic to come back. Just when Tails was about to get worried, he smiled and giggled happily at seeing Sonic fly back down from space and land on the wing of his plane just as he lost his super form, looking triumphant as everyone saw Eggman's mecha fall from space to the earth and crash behind a mountain on Westside Island. Tails and Sonic cheered happily, not realizing how worried Metal Sonic looked. Sonic turned to him and gave him a thumbs up, saying with a smile of approval, " Thanks, Metal! I couldn't have done it without you! " At that, Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile.

Meanwhile, as they returned to the Mystic Ruins triumphantly, a news report was being broadcast back in Station Square. " This is Cindy Coatmen here for an important news update! I'm here on Westside Island where Sonic has been heroically fighting against the infamous Dr. Eggman! He has just destroyed the fourth world-threatening Death Egg in his Super Sonic form, saving the world once again! But he didn't do it alone. There have been several eyewitness accounts saying that the well-known robot Metal Sonic has been seen assisting him on his adventure. Rumor has it that he's joined the side of the world's heroes in his fight against Eggman! Has this infamous robot seen the light? Have the rumors throughout the years about him doing good deeds like rescuing children from Eggman's mechs turned out to be true? Or is it too soon to tell? Stay tuned! "

" Well, you did it, Metal. You finally proved to the world that you're a hero! " Sonic said with a smile after seeing the news at home, eating a chili dog on his couch. Tails, who was doing the same thing right next to him, said in a voice full of hope, " Yeah! Now it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to go out in public without people panicking! " Metal Sonic, who was sitting on the armchair holding a book, looked nervous as Sonic said eagerly, " I can't wait to show you around Station Square! It'll be so much fun! "

Metal Sonic sighed and hoped he wouldn't meet too much resistance as he politely declined, " If it's alright with you, I'd rather just stay home. I don't think they're going to trust me simply because I was with you on one adventure of yours. " Looking disappointed, Sonic said, " But _we_ trust you! "

Metal Sonic replied unhappily, " It's your word over the word of billions of other people. Just because everyone respects you doesn't mean they'll agree with you on everything. Assisting you on one adventure isn't going to make them feel like I made up for years of working for Eggman. I'll believe it when I see it, but right now, I'm not taking my chances. I'm staying home and away from the towns and cities until I'm certain that I'll be accepted there. I know where I'm not wanted. "

Hearing a depressed tone in his voice, Tails couldn't help but have the vague feeling that he could relate to not being accepted by the people of a town. It felt familiar. But instead of taking that as a vital clue to his past, he simply assumed it was because he had a dream about it and said comfortingly, " Okay, Metal. Not until you're ready! " Sonic sighed, and said, " I understand. But they _are_ going to accept you, Metal. You'll see. "

* * *

Author's Notes: Yes! Finally, it's over! Not the story itself of course, but the adventure arc is finally over. I have so many ideas for the story that couldn't be executed until Metal Sonic had proven he could be trusted to the world, and it's a relief to see that I can finally do them. I hardly know where to begin.


	31. Chapter 31

It was only an hour after lunch when Knuckles showed up at the door again. Sonic opened the door and said happily, " Hey, Knux! Did you hear about my latest adventure? The one that Metal Sonic helped me with? I couldn't have done it without him! " and gestured to Metal Sonic, who was sitting on the armchair in the living room still reading a book. Tails was in his lab in the workshop at the moment, still studying Metal Sonic's blueprints and taking notes about them. Annoyed, Knuckles asked, " Why would you need _his_ help? " Not letting it spoil his good mood, Sonic simply answered, " Eggman decided to start fighting me with these machines with really thick armor that I couldn't do anything about, but Metal could melt through with his boost! He really came in handy! Apparently some eyewitnesses saw us working together. It's all over the news! " and chuckled.

Worried about Sonic and trying to hide it with anger, Knuckles replied, " What?! People know that you were with _him?!_ What about your reputation? " Sonic said with a smile and a dismissive wave of his hand, " Oh, relax, Knuckles, everything's fine! The media doesn't disapprove of it at all! They're all just happy that Metal Sonic had a change of heart. I've forgiven plenty of my old enemies, so it should be of no surprise to anyone that I'd forgive him, too. " Shocked and frustrated, Knuckles exclaimed, " So everyone's just _assuming_ he's turned good?! " Sonic just replied, " Yep! " in a cheery manner, having fun at his expense.

Knuckles groaned. He thought, " _I can't believe everyone's just taking this at face value! Why is the world trusting him so easily?! Why is everyone being so gullible?! Do I really have to be the only one who's even the tiniest bit suspicious? Ugh… I wonder if this is how I made Sonic feel…_ " He was soon distracted from his train of thought when Metal Sonic closed his book and got up from the armchair to start leaving the house while saying to Sonic nonchalantly, " I've missed out on a lot of sleep recently, so I think it'll be best if I return home to attempt to recharge. Let me know if there's any more of your allies that you want to introduce your new teammate to. " He walked out of the front door right past Knuckles, ignoring him as he stared on in disbelief and frustration.

Knuckles thought, " _If he really thinks I came all this way here to keep an eye on him just to stay here after he left, he's got another thing coming! What are you up to?_ " With that, he started running after Metal Sonic at a safe distance as he flew at the speed of sound in a blue blur, being almost over the horizon from where he was looking. Surely enough, Knuckles' suspicions were confirmed true. Metal Sonic was lying.

Instead of returning home, he flew in the opposite direction, and soon started flying over the ocean, leaving Knuckles unable to follow him at the same speed as before. All he could do was make a reasonable estimate about where he was going. " _Why is he going back to Westside Island? Is he… is Eggman still there? I knew that evil robot was a mole! Well, whatever he's going to do for him, I won't let him get away with it!_ " Knuckles thought, determined not to lose his trail.

It didn't take very long for Metal Sonic to reach what was reported to be Eggman's crash site on Westside Island. As he flew through the hilly meadow at the speed of sound, he felt frustrated with himself for being unable to resist the urge to come there and check to see if Eggman was still alive. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been so worried. He never did anything of the sort when he was still working for Eggman. He simply waited for him to return home, assuming that he would be fine. But things had changed since then. Sonic wouldn't have caused Eggman to crash in the first place if he hadn't come with him on his adventure, and it was because of that, that he felt personally responsible for Eggman crashing to earth, and the idea that Eggman had died partially because of him overwhelmed him with anxiety and caused him to feel compelled to prove that idea wrong. Trying to cover up his concern with something more intimidating, he managed an irritated expression that was full of resentment for his creator as he made his way to the crash site.

Soon, he reached the coordinates of where the crash site was said to be. But all he could see was a lake with a mountain behind it. He couldn't find any smoking crater or wreckage anywhere, only a lake. And the idea that Eggman's mecha had fallen into a lake filled him with dread. Eggman could swim, as evidenced by the swimming pool he had installed in his first Egg Carrier, but could he actually make it out of a mecha full of cracks with parts broken off it that just sank deep into a lake? Wouldn't the inside of the mecha flood? If it did, he would be long gone by now.

Full of despair and anxiety, Metal Sonic tried to cover it all up by reminding himself just why his relationship with Eggman was so strained to begin with. He walked up to the lake and picked up a pebble, and said in a quiet resentment, " Why would I care about that idiot scientist anyways? He never cared about _me,_ " before skipping the pebble over the surface of the lake, just the way that Metal Knuckles had taught him how to do years ago. He said it would relax him if he was upset. This would put that theory to the test.

" He never cared about anyone but _himself!_ " Metal Sonic grumbled, being a little less quiet that time, as he skipped another pebble over the surface of the water. With growing anger and indignation, he ranted to himself while skipping pebbles, " He treated his own creations like they were nothing more than tools to him, he insisted that I was just a soulless machine that only existed to do his bidding, he dismissed my own feelings, as _nothing!_ " almost shouting the last word as he threw a pebble into the lake, his anger building up and boiling over.

" There's no reason for me to care about him at all because he's nothing but a self-absorbed narcissistic _sociopath!_ " he ranted, throwing another pebble into the lake as he yelled out the last word. " I don't _care_ if he created me! I don't _care_ how long I knew him, I don't _care_ that he gave me life, life that he doesn't even _attempt_ to _acknowledge_ , I don't care about _him!_ Because he doesn't care about me… " He went from ranting angrily to having his head lowered in sadness by the last sentence, feeling unloved, neglected and rejected, while at the same time still frustrated, feeling like he had been cheated out of something.

Sounding devastated, he continued, " How could he not care about me? He _made_ me! He's the one who gave me guidance about how he wanted me to live my life and he's the one who made me! How could he, after all those years, still think of me as just his machine?! Why am I denied something so significant, just because I'm a robot? It's not fair! " He threw another pebble into the lake as he shouted out the last sentence passionately, having gone from devastated to frustrated and furious with an undercurrent of trying as hard as he could not to cry.

" Why would I want him to care about me? I should be ashamed to even have his approval! There's _nothing_ good about him! He's a heartless _bastard,_ and the world would be better off _without_ him! I hate him, I hate him, I _hate_ him! " Metal Sonic ranted with a forced rage to his tone, full of hopelessness and sadness at what he was deprived of all his life. Just by saying the last two sentences, and echoing what he had said when he was five days old after Eggman rejected him as a son and laughed it off, he was overwhelmed with remembering how heartbroken he had felt. That day caused him to see Eggman for who he really was instead of idealizing him and looking up to him. It created a rift between them that would never be repaired. And all of that wouldn't have happened if he didn't happen to be a robot. He couldn't deny it anymore. He knew what he wanted.

" Why does it have to be him?! " he complained in frustration, kneeled down to the ground with his head in his hands. He sighed sadly, and said with a depressed tone, " Who am I kidding? Of course I care about him... Even though he's an _arrogant_ and _self-absorbed megalomaniac_ who is _nothing_ but a nuisance… he's still my father, and I'll _always_ care about him… even though I shouldn't. " He sighed again and said in annoyance, " Why am I so weak? " shaking his head at how soft-hearted he was being. He still didn't want to accept the idea that Eggman could have not survived, but at the very least, he could acknowledge the fact that he still loved him, no matter how strained their relationship had become.

Just before he reached the point where he could no longer not break down and cry, he noticed a large rippling and bubbling of the lake's surface, and he saw Eggman in his regular Eggmobile rise up from under the water, with Eggman having an airtight glass dome above the Eggmobile's cockpit that lowered itself after he resurfaced. He had just spent two hours working to disconnect the regular Eggmobile from the severely damaged mecha he had faced Super Sonic with and get it to bring him out of the water, and was laughing victoriously at leaving the lake at last, knowing that he would have run out of air if he had stayed in the mecha any longer.

" You idiot! " he heard Metal Sonic shout angrily at him, causing him to turn the Eggmobile around to face him while looking shocked and alarmed, still very much afraid of him. Metal Sonic quickly stood up from the ground and told him off furiously for making him worry so much, with the amount of rage in his voice scaring him until he realized what he was implying.

" Do you have _any_ idea how _lucky_ you are that you hadn't gotten yourself _killed?!_ Your machine just crashed into a _lake,_ you could have _drowned!_ And _none_ of that would have happened if you hadn't gone through with that _idiotic_ plan! You're lucky you've survived as long as you _have!_ Eventually that luck is gonna _run out_ and you're gonna end up getting yourself killed, and _then_ what are your robots gonna do?! Sit around until they get taken and brainwashed by GUN?! Because you can _forget_ about having _anyone_ take your place! I don't even know why I'm bothering to _tell_ you all of this because you're not even going to _listen!_ Everything I say is always in one ear and out the other! You just _keep_ doing what you want and _ignoring_ the advice of the people who care about you and don't want you to make a huge mistake, and eventually you're gonna end up _dying_ before you hit 60 because you didn't _listen_ to anyone! Well, I'm not going to _bother_ trying to _waste my time_ with you! Go ahead and _get_ yourself killed! See if _I_ care! If you wanna go on with this idiotic taking over the world nonsense straight into your 60s, then _fine,_ I can't say _anything_ to stop you, but don't say I didn't _warn_ you! "

With that, Metal Sonic flew away at the speed of sound in the opposite direction, heading back home with Eggman staring at him looking shocked and unhappy. It was clear that he understood the implications of what he said. Even though Metal Sonic had turned against him and joined Sonic's side, he still cared about him, and would be devastated if anything happened to him. Just the worry that he hadn't survived was enough to get him to go all the way back to Westside Island just to check on him. He wondered if Metal Sonic was right. Would he end up getting himself killed some day? Was he really only surviving up to this point because of luck?

" Hey! " Eggman yelled out, and a startled yelp was heard as Knuckles jumped and revealed himself from behind a bush. He had heard everything. " Have you been here the whole time?! " Eggman yelled, humiliated that Knuckles had just witnessed his most powerful robot say those things to him and reveal how worried about him he was. It was hardly a conversation that he wanted anyone else to hear. So caught off guard by being spotted so easily, Knuckles could only stammer in response. Eggman yelled, " Maybe you should learn to mind your own business! " and angrily flew away in his Eggmobile, returning back to home base as Knuckles watched him leave unhappily, unable to stop reflecting on what he had just witnessed and what it had implied.

Author's Notes: Nothing to do with the story, I know, but I just bought Sonic Generations for my PC last night! Steam was having this huge sale and I got it for 8 dollars! Quite a deal for what might be the best Sonic game ever made. And the only reason I even made a Steam account and got it in the first place was because the General Sonic the Hedgehog thread of TV Tropes caused me to find out about it. That was a huge step for me, and I'm so glad I got it! Yes! However, even though I finally have it now, I'm not gonna play it right away. I'm gonna wait for a while before I play it. I don't even have a Gamecube controller PC adaptor yet, so playing any PC games right now is out of the question for me. I couldn't imagine playing a video game on a keyboard when I'm barely used to the new one I have now, after months of having it at that! So I won't be playing the game for months, but still, just the fact that I have it, I'm so happy I got it. Couldn't help but share that with you. (Update: As it turns out, my laptop can't even play it anyways, I need to buy a desktop computer to do that, but since I can just redownload it for free on the new computer later, it's fine.)


	32. Chapter 32

An hour had passed since Metal Sonic had gone to Westside Island and then returned home. He was reading a book while lying on his back on his bed when Metal Knuckles opened his door and walked down the stairs, entering his home carrying a book in his hand. He looked surprised and smiled eagerly at seeing him, and said, " You're home! That's great! That means you finally finished your first official adventure! " Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile a little as he congratulated him and placed the last of his books in the bookshelf with the others, and he closed his book and got out of his bed to walk up to him.

" So what was it like? I wanna hear all about it! " Metal Knuckles said curiously. Metal Sonic explained, " It appeared that the idiot scientist was running out of ideas, because all he did was retry his plan on Westside Island with minor changes. We went through the same areas that Sonic had five years ago and even fought similar mechas at the end of them. The major difference was that the mechas tended to have thicker armor that I needed to slice through with my boost activated to get rid of, and possessed a lot more laser-shooting cannons. He seemed to be attempting to fix the mistakes he had made with the previous mechas. In fact, Sonic told me that he only failed because he couldn't account for the fact that I would be there to assist him. We travelled through all of the zones, finding Chaos Emeralds along the way and with me tearing apart every badnik I came across, and flying over many of the pits and hazards that Sonic couldn't. "

Metal Knuckles asked him, " Did you try your luck in Casino Night Zone to see if you joining Sonic was putting fate in your favor? " Metal Sonic replied, " Yes, actually… I got three Sonic's, which marked the first time I ever _gained_ rings there rather than losing rings… " sounding confused and unhappy. Metal Knuckles could tell that he didn't think he had earned his luck turning around just because he joined Sonic a few days ago. He said with excitement, " That's fantastic! Your luck really _has_ gotten better! It looks like things are looking up! And now that you've completed your first official adventure with Sonic, your luck must have improved even more! This is a great sign! " Not wanting to jinx it, Metal Sonic simply moved on instead of tempting fate by agreeing with him. He still felt worried that he hadn't done enough to earn being on Sonic's side and getting the better fortune that came with it, even though he had assisted him in stopping Eggman and made his change of sides official. Whether it was lingering guilt, insecurity, or paranoid pessimism, he still felt like he hadn't earned it, and didn't take it for granted.

" When I faced off with Eggman at the end of that zone… his Eggmobile had _electricity_ right below it… " he reluctantly admitted with his head hung low in shame at what had happened because of it. Metal Knuckles stopped smiling and said in sympathy, " So, Sonic found out? " Metal Sonic nodded unhappily. Noticing that he had caused his closest friend to stop smiling, he immediately regretted it and attempted to cheer him up.

" He told me that he still respected me just as much as before, and nothing would change between us. He actually comforted me, and told me that he had an idea of what caused my reaction, but didn't make me elaborate on it because he knew it'd be too painful… " Metal Sonic smiled a little after saying that, especially after it succeeded in cheering up his brother. Metal Knuckles wasn't surprised by Sonic's reaction at all. He was just glad Metal Sonic wasn't looking depressed anymore.

Metal Sonic told him, " After that, we went to sleep for the night and then resumed the mission in the morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get as much sleep the night _after_ that because the _idiot_ scientist would've took off to the fourth Death Egg without us and carried out his plan, so I had to spend some of it travelling through Metropolis Zone and then sleep for a few hours while waiting for Tails' plane to come and take us to the Wing Fortress Mk II, which means I barely got any sleep recently. But since I'm more well-rested now that I'm working for Sonic, that won't be nearly as much of a problem as it could be. I'm not waking up too early anymore, although it _still_ takes _hours_ to get to sleep and start recharging in the first place. But still, I'm _finally_ getting my 9.5 hours! About time… "

Metal Knuckles said happily, " That's great! And after that, you went to Eggman, fought him with Sonic and saved the world! Congratulations! I'm _so_ happy for you! You're officially on Sonic's team! Sure, Orbot and Cubot are gonna miss having you around, but I'll still get to see you a lot and tell them all about how you're doing, and your life has never been better! They're really happy for you, too. "  
Metal Sonic explained nervously, " That's good. After I returned home with Sonic, there was a news broadcast about how I assisted Sonic. So it's official... The world knows I've joined him. " Wishing he wasn't so nervous about it, Metal Knuckles said cheerfully, " That's great! Your reputation in the world has gotten better already! Soon you'll be able to walk around Station Square without anyone calling the police! You might even be able to buy your own books and check out books from the library yourself! I'll miss chatting with the librarian, though, but at least she'll finally get to see the real you! "

" I wouldn't get so excited just yet. Just because I've gone on one adventure with Sonic doesn't mean the world has stopped hating me for carrying out Eggman's orders. And I doubt they could forget _the_ _incident,_ either. Sonic, Tails, Amy and the GUN Commander may back me up, but that's not going to convince everyone. No matter _how_ popular someone is, they can't get everyone to agree with an unpopular opinion just based on their own popularity alone. It's not that simple. I'll probably have to wait months or even _years_ before I'm able to step foot in any town or city without people looking nervous around me and avoiding me. I doubt any shop would even do _business_ with me right now… " Metal Sonic said bitterly with his arms crossed, with a depressed tone in his voice.

" Give it time. The world forgave Shadow, and he tried to destroy the world! You're someone who actually _prevented_ its _destruction_ before you even joined Sonic in the first place! You were a decent person the whole time, and you just need to give the people of the world some time to let it all sink in and get used to the idea that they were wrong about you, " Metal Knuckles said comfortingly, wanting to give him more hope. " No one is comfortable with admitting when they're wrong. I'll be lucky if _anyone_ does it… " Metal Sonic said unhappily with downcast eyes, trying to sound merely bitter and cynical and revealing something more.

Trying to change the subject, he said sincerely, " Thank you for bringing me all of my books. It wouldn't have been fair for me to be separated from them after you went through the trouble of buying me them because I joined Sonic's side. " Metal Knuckles giggled and said, " Aw, you're welcome. Any time! " scratching the back of his neck bashfully. He always appreciated it when Metal Sonic thanked him for something.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a loud knocking on the door, and wondered who it could be. Metal Sonic, as paranoid as ever, worried if it was someone malevolent, while Metal Knuckles simply said with a smile, " I'll get it! " and went up the stairs to open the door.


	33. Chapter 33

" Oh, uh, Knuckles! Hi! " Metal Knuckles said with strained cheer upon opening the door and seeing Knuckles walk down the staircase into the hideout, immediately regretting opening the door and making him capable of entering Metal Sonic's home. Even he had a hard time hiding the fact that he didn't like Knuckles very much. Knuckles seemed to completely ignore him and walk straight towards Metal Sonic, looking like he was going to confront him on something. Metal Sonic was hardly comfortable with the fact that Knuckles was trespassing in his home, but at the same time, he was relieved that it wasn't someone even more malevolent, like a vigilante against him or a news reporter. He wouldn't want anyone outside of his trusted allies and Knuckles to discover where his home was hidden. He felt a little embarrassed of being so worried that it was someone else showing up; after all, the security system of the home couldn't tell the difference between Knuckles and Metal Knuckles, so it automatically locked the door and wouldn't unlock it for a person who was already registered as being in the house. It was by the security system's design that Knuckles and Metal Knuckles weren't supposed to be in the home at the same time at all.

Getting irritated with his constant suspicion, Metal Sonic crossed his arms and complained bitterly, " Do you _really_ have to barge into my home just to confront me on nonexistent evil plans and question me even further? Can't I have any sort of break from you? I already saved the world with Sonic twice in a row, and you _still_ don't trust me! What's it gonna take to get you to leave me alone?! " Metal Knuckles simply watched nervously from across the room as the two of them argued, feeling guilty for letting Knuckles in.

Being annoyed with how he was being treated like a pest, Knuckles replied, " You told Sonic that you were going straight home, and I saw you turn around and fly the other way! Where were you going? What were you doing? And why did you lie to Sonic about it?! "

Metal Sonic was caught off guard from what he said and stammered nervously before angrily replying, " None of your business! I don't need to tell everyone every little thing! Can't I have some privacy?! " Knuckles exclaimed, " Who do you think you are?! You're Eggman's most dangerous killing machine! You've done so many evil things, you even tried to take over the world at one point! And you're telling me that there's nothing about your behavior on Sonic's side that should make you suspicious of you? All the lying and leaving out details and not telling us what you're up to, and you're expecting us not to think you're hiding something? For all we know, you could be carrying out Eggman's orders in secret! Why do you expect me to trust you when you're the most secretive liar I know?! You think there's nothing wrong with _lying_ to _everybody_ even when you don't have to?! You constantly say things that are clearly not true and leave out important details with shifty eyes and you expect us to trust you! You're the least trustworthy-looking teammate imaginable! "

" First off, stop saying, ' us. ' I know it's only you. And second, just because I value privacy and don't want to tell people every single thing about me and what I'm doing, doesn't mean I can't be trusted and am up to no good. Don't you know anybody else who's like that? Do _you_ tell Sonic everything you're doing and struggling with? No, you keep it to yourself, " Metal Sonic replied with resentment, remaining surprisingly calm and quiet in the face of Knuckles' shouting at him.

" Not as much as _you!_ You keep _everything_ to yourself! You expect me not to suspect you of betraying Sonic's side by doing evil things when you keep all of us on a need-to-know basis! If you've got nothing to hide, then why are you acting like it?! " Knuckles yelled, frustrated that the robot seemed to think that there was nothing wrong with lying.

" Why do you _think?_ Why do _you_ not tell your friends everything? Maybe I don't wanna be judged and treated differently for having the concerns and problems that I do. Maybe I don't wanna look weak when I'm supposed to be the world's most powerful robot, maybe I have _dignity_ to preserve! There's nothing wrong with what I'm doing because it's not inconveniencing _anyone._ I'm doing the same thing that you're doing for the exact same reasons. Why should I tell people things that I'm not comfortable with telling them just to reassure them that I won't betray them? You'd think my continued and unwavering loyalty and devotion would make that clear enough. If people don't trust me not to betray them, that's _their_ problem. I keep people on a need-to-know basis because they don't need to know. If I'm not comfortable with telling them something, I most likely won't, for the same reason that you won't. Quite frankly, considering how many things I've said that I'm very uncomfortable with admitting, it's amazing that I'm as honest as I am, because I could be a _lot_ more secretive, _very_ easily, " Metal Sonic said resentfully, and his calm but resentful manner of responding only frustrated Knuckles even more, making him feel like he was treating him like he was getting too angry and dismissing his feelings as childish overreactions, as if _he_ was the bad guy.

" Are you saying I'm just as bad as you?! " Knuckles exclaimed, offended at the very idea of it. He did keep his feelings and worries to himself a lot to keep his tough guy reputation and not look weak, but it wasn't nearly to his extent. Metal Sonic rolled his eyes at being treated like the bad guy and said, " No, I'm saying we have that in common. I can't stand it just as much as you, but it's true, we share similarities. So maybe before accusing me of being a traitor because I want privacy, you should think about why you would act the same way. "

Knuckles wanted to say something back, but he couldn't think of anything to say. As much as he hated to admit it, Sonic was right. They did have similarities. He hated to think that he had anything in common with that evil robot, but if he did, he could at least relate to him better. As someone who lived completely alone on an island for the first 11 years of his life, Knuckles valued having privacy because when he started having company for the first time in his life, he quickly learned what it was like to be deprived of privacy, to have to preserve a reputation by keeping things to himself. It was stressful having to be around other people, especially with no prior experience with social interaction, and when Eggman, Sonic and Tails left his island after he first met them, he was relieved at getting his privacy back.

Knuckles remembered what he had so recently witnessed of Metal Sonic, seeing him almost break down in tears at his issues with what a poor father Eggman was to him and yell at him in anger born of worry about how he might get himself killed some day. As angry and intimidating as that robot was trying to be, even when thinking that no one was there to see it, he still revealed a soft side, a side of him that wanted the kind of loving and healthy father-and-son relationship that everyone else had, and reacted like a frustrated and unloved neglected child at being denied that just because he was a robot. Not only did it humanize him, but it also made him look vulnerable, the opposite of what he wanted, and the opposite of what Knuckles wanted. He still didn't approve of Metal Sonic being so secretive and mysterious and lying to Sonic, but he could finally begin to relate to why he was doing it.

After a few seconds where he was unable to provide a counterpoint to what Metal Sonic had said, he left his home without saying a word, reflecting on the idea that he might have more in common with him than he thought.

When the door closed behind him, Metal Knuckles said sadly, " I'm sorry I let him in, I didn't know it was him, " feeling ashamed of causing an argument in the sanctity of his own home. " No, it's alright. I'll ask who it is next time, " Metal Sonic replied unhappily, not wanting him to be upset.

" Did you really mean it when you said you had stuff in common with him? " Metal Knuckles asked. He knew it was true, but he didn't think Metal Sonic acknowledged it, considering how much he hated Knuckles. " Yes, I did. It's true, unfortunately, that we have similarities. I suppose, if we focused more on that, we'd get along more. But the two of us being friends?... Don't count on it, " Metal Sonic replied, scoffing before the final sentence.


	34. Chapter 34

On the way to Sonic's house the next morning, Metal Sonic heard a female voice call out, " Wait! " that sounded slightly familiar. Deciding that there was no harm in at least stopping briefly, he stopped flying and turned around, and saw Rouge running up to him. " The GUN Commander sent me to look for you, but I didn't know where you lived, " she explained, catching her breath. With his arms crossed, Metal Sonic questioned, " So now that I've saved the world with Sonic, is he gonna back out of that ' citizenship ' deal? "

Rouge shook her head, saying, " No, " and smiled confidently to continue, " But he _does_ have a mission for you! " Metal Sonic rolled his eyes, sighed in exasperation, and said, " I already told him why I'm not joining GUN, and he's expecting me to go on missions for him? The answer is no, " and turned away to leave. Looking frantic again, Rouge said, " Wait, wait! Just listen to me! " and he reluctantly stopped in his tracks, figuring that there was no harm in at least finding out what she had to say.

She smiled manipulatively and said, " I bet you'd go on the mission if I told you what it was about! It's to sabotage _Eggman._ " Metal Sonic had an urge to agree just from hearing that alone, but he had to remain dignified. " Keep talking, " he said in annoyance with his arms crossed, resentful just at hearing Eggman being mentioned.

Not surprised at all that it was working, Rouge continued, " The GUN Commander wanted me and you to go on a mission to infiltrate the ore refinery near Central City. We have reason to suspect that they're sending some of their refined ore to the doctor! He depends on the black market for almost all of his materials! If we infiltrate the ore refinery and find out what's being stored away to be sold to the doctor, we'll be able to prevent him from getting any of it! I'll hide this relaying microchip on the black market containers that will tell GUN where they are so that they'll be able to find and confiscate them before the workers there can hide them among the rest of the refined ores, and we'll deprive the doctor of some _valuable_ robot materials! Of course, they've bought mechs from GUN as security, but we were given full permission to destroy _any_ that interfere with the mission, so not only will you be sabotaging Eggman, but you'll get to destroy as many mechs as you want! So what you do think? Sound like a deal? "

Metal Sonic was having a hard time resisting that offer. He had already spent far too long without getting to fight in between leaving Eggman and going on an adventure with Sonic, and he wasn't sure how long he would have to wait before he could fight again. Destroying mechs was the best way he could take the anger and frustrations he bottled up and channel them into doing something productive, and there was an opportunity for it right in front of him. More importantly, he would get to sabotage Eggman, and that wasn't something he wanted to pass up. He had only a few reasons not to go with her.

He turned to face her again and said with a serious tone and his arms crossed, " One of the reasons I didn't join GUN was because I would be less available for the side I made a commitment to, which would make me less useful to it and give me less opportunities to _earn_ my place in it. I- " Just before he could finish, he saw a blue blur rush past him, turn around and stop in front of him, revealing itself to be Sonic. He was surprised and alarmed at seeing him so suddenly, but Rouge took full advantage of the opportunity and said, " Sonic, perfect timing! _Metal_ here wanted to ask you for permission to help sabotage Eggman with me! We're going to prevent some refined ores from being sold to the doctor illegally. Is that alright with you? "  
Sonic said with a smile and a thumbs up, " Sure, why not! Go right ahead! "

Confused and nervous, Metal Sonic said, " But won't I be less available for you if I keep going on missions for GUN? " wondering if it counted as disloyal. Not failing to notice the implications of what he asked, Sonic said cheerfully, " I don't see a problem with you accomplishing some good without me! You don't have to be around my team all the time! If you wanna sabotage old Egghead, I'm all for it! Later! " and sped away at the speed of sound, going off on a run again.

Metal Sonic stared at Sonic as he disappeared in a blue blur over the horizon, looked stunned at how Sonic just gave him permission to be less available for him, while Rouge smiled confidently, satisfied with herself at getting rid of one of his reasons to make her go on the mission alone. Trying to regain his composure, Metal Sonic crossed his arms and said in annoyance,

" Alright, fine. I've never trusted GUN, but I suppose there would be nothing wrong with carrying out a mission like this for them. Are you certain they've got the right ore refinery? " Rouge confirmed, " Absolutely certain! They've got eyewitness reports and everything! " Metal Sonic replied, " Well, eyewitness reports aren't that reliable because a person's memories can be hazy, but, um… My point is, if I'm going to go through the trouble of assisting a corrupt organization like GUN, I should at the very least receive a paycheck. I already made it clear to them that just because I'm a robot doesn't mean it's right for them to treat me like a slave. I'm _not_ working for free. "

Seeing this coming, since Omega said the exact same thing when he joined, Rouge asked cheerfully, " How much do you wanna get paid? " Metal Sonic had no idea how much an agent of GUN got paid for completing a mission, and looked frustrated and embarrassed for a second, thinking, " _How much do they get paid?_ _Oh, god, I hate being clueless. I can't look like I'm asking for too much, I'm only gonna spend it on books anyways, but I don't wanna get cheated out of anything by getting too little. Um…_ " Resuming his serious expression as if nothing went wrong, he answered, " The same amount as you. "

Rouge said with a smile, " Deal! " She was paid so well that she was practically upper-middle-class from all the missions she carried out, so he had made a good decision there. Once again, she couldn't help but be reminded of Omega, who demanded the exact same thing. She held out her hand to shake hands with him, saying, " Truce? " to try to make it official. Metal Sonic didn't see her as trustworthy, mainly because she came off as manipulating and selfish, but he was opposed to not making their truce official by principle, so he reluctantly shook her hand and said, " Truce. " They let go shortly afterwards, and Rouge said with excitement, " Alright! Let's go! I know the way! " and Metal Sonic followed behind her, reluctantly flying at the same speed that Knuckles and her could run in order to follow her without passing her by. He thought wearily, " _This is going to be a long day._ "

Author's Notes: I'm just gonna assume that Rouge runs just as fast as Knuckles, since it's the case in Sonic Adventure 2.


	35. Chapter 35

Metal Sonic followed Rouge into a black private jet owned by GUN that was waiting to bring them to the ore refinery near Central City. Still not really liking the idea of carrying out missions for GUN, he reluctantly entered the private jet after Rouge got into it, and closed the door behind him. The private jet was remarkably small, consisting of a front seat, a passenger's seat, and a small room behind them with four seats near the two windows on either side. Metal Sonic sat down on the seat next to the window, put on his seatbelt and tightened it just to be safe, and Rouge sat down on the seat to the right of him and put on her seatbelt as well, taking off the black backpack she was wearing and sitting beside him cheerfully to make it clear that she was okay with working with him. She had already befriended one of Eggman's robots. She could trust another.

As the private jet took off and started flying through the sky, Rouge looked over at Metal Sonic with a smile, wanting to find out more about him and looking forward to the upcoming mission. As he stared out the window in boredom paying her no attention, he reminded her of Shadow. Wanting to get him to relax around her, she said cheerfully, " This'll be fun, won't it? What a great opportunity for us to get to know each other! "

Metal Sonic replied, " Hmph, " and shrugged with his arms crossed in the same manner that Shadow did. " As a stranger, I don't trust you. But as my ally for this mission, I _have_ to. " Rouge rolled her eyes at his untrusting attitude, until the first sentence hit her like a ton of bricks. Confused and concerned, Rouge said, " Stranger? We met years ago! " Wondering how he could've possibly forgotten facing off with her, Shadow and Omega so many times in the Metal Overlord Incident, she was quickly reminded of when Shadow had amnesia, and became worried about what he was implying.

Embarrassed and frustrated at revealing his forgetfulness, Metal Sonic said, " I _know_ _that!_ I-I meant that we don't know each other very well, so you have done _nothing_ so far to earn my trust. That's all. Even if I already interacted with you once before, we're still strangers to each other. But I'm going to have to trust you anyways, at least until the mission is over. "

Seeing his flustered reaction and denial only strengthened her suspicions, but she wisely decided to let it go, figuring that Metal Sonic wouldn't give her the answers she wanted, at least not yet. Giving up on trying to have idle chit chat with him, she let him stare out the window and ignore her as the private jet brought them to their destination. With his aloof mission-focused demeanor combined with his apparent memory problems, Metal Sonic was reminding her of Shadow more and more by the minute. 

It didn't take very long for the private jet to reach its destination and start flying above the ore refinery. Knowing that both of the passengers could fly and didn't require parachutes, the pilot instructed, " Open the door and fly down to the back entrance of the building! They won't see you there. " The two of them did as they were instructed, removing their seatbelts and flying out of the private jet to enter the back entrance of the ore refinery after Rouge put on her backpack and opened the door.


	36. Chapter 36

Upon entering the ore refinery, Metal Sonic and Rouge proceeded to fly through the hallways looking for any locked door that any robot materials ready to be illegally sold could be hidden behind. They flew through the entire building, which consisted of rooms full of ore refining machinery and employees, rooms storing the ore, rooms storing the refined ore waiting to be sold legally, and hallways connecting them all to each other. Metal Sonic had to fly at Rouge's speed to avoid leaving her behind and getting the two of them separated. If he had the microchip that would relay its coordinates to GUN, he was certain he'd be able to complete the mission a lot faster on his own from just flying ahead at the speed of sound, but he supposed that being able to split up searching between two people would make it go by twice as fast, and he didn't want to leave his ally behind.

Several minutes later, they reached a steel locked door that had a sign on it reading, " Authorized personnel only, " with a fingerprint scanner for a lock. Rouge said quietly, " This must be where they're hiding it. " Metal Sonic said with a serious and determined expression, " Stand back. " He quickly moved his fingers to his palms and back as if he was clenching his fists without moving his thumbs, and an intimidating metallic sound was heard as the tips of his fingers morphed into sharp claws, which soon became surrounded with fire as he mentally activated his boost. All in an instant, he swiped at the steel door with his flaming claws at four times the speed of sound, and the force of the claws hitting it at Mach 4 combined with the hot temperature of the fire resulted in the steel door being sliced through and melted at the same time with a single claw swipe. Metal Sonic quickly proceeded to continue swiping at the rest of the door with both claws, attacking the door until all that was left of it was the singed bottom of it, which Rouge and him stepped over to enter the previously closed off storage room that was only accessible to employees.

As Metal Sonic and Rouge walked down the first hallway formed by rows and rows of roofless metal boxes with piles of refined ore in them, Rouge commented cheerfully, " Impressive! One little security door won't stop you! But that shouldn't be so surprising coming from the robot who broke into the center of GUN's data storage room after destroying ten steel security doors in a row! You'd think an explosion had destroyed them, but it turned out to be yours truly!... Remember? "

" Um, yes, I remember, " Metal Sonic lied horribly, frustrated and confused at not remembering what exact event she was referring to. Getting suspicious again, Rouge lied with a manipulative smile, " I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot about it, though. That was over _four years ago!_ "  
Metal Sonic went along with it and lied with shifty eyes, " Well, I didn't forget it, " annoyed with himself for being forgetful.

Rouge lied flawlessly, " Oh, wait, I got mixed up. That happened _two_ years ago, not four. " It had actually happened three years ago, but he didn't know that. As she had expected, Metal Sonic awkwardly lied with a serious expression, " I was aware of that. I simply presumed that it would be impolite to correct you. "

Rouge pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and immediately brought up the picture she had taken of the destroyed remains of the ten security doors, with the date she had taken it displayed at the top-left corner of the screen. " Two years ago, huh? Then what's this? " she questioned, showing Metal Sonic the picture and getting him to stop in his tracks, proving that he had forgotten what had happened. If he had remembered the mission in question, he would've known what stage of his life it happened in, remembering himself obsessing over surpassing Sonic and to what degree, but he didn't.

Metal Sonic nervously looked down at the floor in embarrassment with an annoyed expression, and Rouge asked with concern, " Do you remember _any_ of your missions? " putting her cell phone away. She was getting more reminded of Shadow's amnesia by the second. The only difference was that while Shadow was honest about losing his memories, Metal Sonic was determined to hide it.

Metal Sonic said unhappily, " N-Yes, of course I do! Just because I don't remember exactly how many years ago I carried out a mission doesn't mean I've forgotten all of them! " Rouge lied with a smile, " _Yeah,_ that's a good point. Those missions of yours sound pretty _memorable_ from what I've been told. How could you forget the time you blew up a space station?! With something like that, it's not _when_ you did it that you'll remember. " Metal Sonic gasped, looking shocked and upset, and asked, " Why did he order me to do that?! How many casualties were there?! I-I mean, not like I care or anythi- "

" There weren't any casualties, because it _never_ _happened._ Are you okay? " Rouge said in concern. Frustrated with himself and embarrassed at believing her lies and revealing his forgetfulness, Metal Sonic answered, " My memory's fine! Just because I don't find my missions memorable doesn't mean anything! There have been a few that I've ceased to remember, but it's not a big deal! I-It's just that I've carried out so many of them for the idiot that they all blend together. None of them really mattered to me anyways unless they involved Sonic, so my CPU naturally discarded the memories as worthless. Besides… I don't really want to remember them anyways… Ugh, see, this is why I don't tell anyone that I've forgotten anything! "

Rouge asked, " What do you mean? " feeling sorry for him as she got him to open up to her. Metal complained with his arms crossed and looking to the side, " When an organic being admits that he forgot something, nobody makes a big deal out of it, because everyone forgets things sometimes. It's perfectly natural! But when a _robot_ forgets something, everyone thinks there's something seriously _wrong_ with him and acts like it's fundamental proof that robots are ' inferior ' to organic life forms and can't measure up to the ' real thing. ' When an _organic_ forgets something, it's normal, when a _robot_ forgets something, he has a _memory problem._ I-I mean, sure, I forget stuff a lot, big deal, that doesn't mean I'm _useless._ I still remember things that are of _significance_ to me, like my routine and what I need to do and most of what I've read, so for all intents and purposes, my memory is _fine._ "

With his back turned to her by that point, Rouge asked in concern, " Have you always been this way? Or did the doctor reboot you every time you carried out a mission for him? " sounding irritated with the last sentence. Answering with complete honesty for once, Metal Sonic replied, " No, he didn't, because then I wouldn't get any more experienced at missions and would stagnate instead of improve. If anything, he complained whenever I showed signs of forgetting what I did… " He sighed unhappily, looking back on how last month, Eggman had complained, " You remember _Orbot's birthday,_ but you don't remember what your orders were three days ago? You need to get your priorities straight! "

Rouge wondered why Metal Sonic had lost all memory of almost all of the evil deeds he had carried out for Eggman. If the doctor hadn't been erasing his memories, then why was he suffering from memory loss in the first place? " Then, what happened? Did you get a head injury? " she asked, being reminded of Shadow again.

" I've only received two such injuries in my lifetime and none of them were a recent occurrence. Rouge, can we drop this? We have a mission to do, and I've already told you too much, " he said in frustration, and started flying over the containers of refined ore in the room, wanting to end the conversation before he revealed anything else. Rouge sighed sadly, and started flying over the opposite side of the room, full of concern as she searched for the container of robot materials. She thought, " _At least he remembered my name…_ "

She couldn't believe Metal Sonic had been suffering from memory loss for so long. Why had he become so forgetful? What were those head injuries he referred to? Were they the cause of him forgetting things so much? Did he have lingering CPU damage from it that Eggman didn't notice and fix? Were his memory banks damaged? Or did he forget his missions as a method of repressing the memories of carrying out his evil deeds so that he wouldn't have to dwell on the guilt from his negative impact on the world? But that didn't explain why he had forgotten about meeting her.


	37. Chapter 37

After three minutes of searching through the locked storage room trying to figure out which container of refined ores was going to Eggman, Rouge found a particular container that caught her interest. " Jewels! " she exclaimed happily at seeing a container with diamonds lying on top of a pile of metal. Metal Sonic wasn't sure what diamonds were doing in an ore refinery, and wondered if they were a gift given as a bribe from a corrupt organization. Rouge flew up to the diamonds in excitement and started quickly putting them into her backpack, stuffing as many of them into it as she could.

Metal Sonic rolled his eyes and deadpanned, " That isn't the mission. Can we get a move on? " impatiently waiting with his arms crossed for her to finish stealing jewels. " Just a _minute!_ How can a _treasure hunter_ _resist_ the _urge_ to _take_ any of these _lovely jewels?_ " Rouge replied to Metal Sonic's annoyance, saying the first sentence in a sing-songey way from carefree happiness.

After a minute of stealing diamonds, she zipped up her backpack, put it back on, and flew back to the floor with only slightly greater difficulty. " All done! " she said cheerfully in satisfaction, and Metal Sonic silently resumed his search, making no reaction to what had just transpired.

It soon dawned on Rouge that she had stolen jewels right in front of the newly reformed robot to no objection, with him only complaining because he was impatient that she was straying from the mission. Considering how he had expressed resentment of GUN for letting a jewel thief steal all she wanted, she was naturally confused at how his only complaint was impatience. " Hope you don't mind me helping myself, but I _am_ a _jewel thief,_ after all, " she said with a smile, trying to figure out if he was really opposed to her stealing.

Suddenly, Metal Sonic looked uncomfortable. " The same one I complained about on the phone? " he asked nervously. Rouge nodded, and he said nervously, " It just occurred to me that I may have offended you unintentionally. I apologize, " which threw her for a loop. She thought he was uncomfortable because she had been stealing. She wasn't expecting him to apologize to her at all. It must have been very difficult for him to do, especially to someone who wasn't a close friend of his. " That's alright. You couldn't have known, " Rouge said, genuinely smiling at his display of compassion.

Getting worried again, she quickly remembered how many times she had made it clear to him during the Metal Overlord Incident that she was looking for treasure, making the conclusion that she was a treasure hunter a logical one. And yet, even after fighting her disguised as Eggman so many times in just a few days, he still ended up forgetting that she was one. It was either that, or he didn't realize what treasure hunter was a euphemism for.

" So you really don't mind my stealing? " she asked. Metal Sonic shrugged apathetically and said, " It's none of my business what you do in your spare time. All you're stealing is jewels, it's not like you're taking anything that someone would die without. As long as you don't steal from me, I don't care. I still don't approve, but I don't care. " Rouge was surprised at hearing that from him. His resemblance to Shadow was uncanny at times. Shadow didn't approve of her thievery, but he let her do it without lecturing her as well, and without even having the excuse of an evil robot built by Eggman who might have a morality repressor in him. She quickly wondered if Metal Sonic had such a thing, being specifically programmed not to dwell on evil deeds so that he wouldn't feel as guilty for following his orders. Omega had that in common with him, having an apathy instinct just like him so that he wouldn't object to engaging in combat with anyone, but he refused to let GUN remove it from his programming because he considered it altering a fundamental part of who he was, which was tantamount to brainwashing. Did Metal Sonic consider it that way, too?

Metal Sonic admitted, " I've had to take things that didn't belong to me, too. It was mainly for my missions, I suppose, but I remember five years ago when I tried to go to a store and rent a snowboard, and the shopkeeper just screamed at seeing me and locked himself in the storage room. He wouldn't accept money from me, so I borrowed the snowboard and returned it when I was done with it. No one ever wanted to do business with me, because of something I can't even help. I suppose you could say I've been a thief, too, even though I had no choice in the matter, " trying to make her feel more accepted and comfortable. He continued with a bitter and resentful tone,

" Besides, think about who you're stealing from. They _deserve_ whatever they get. They committed high treason against the government and betrayed the world by providing vital materials to the most heartless man on the planet. Having such gemstones confiscated by an agent of GUN is a _minor_ punishment for assisting public enemy number one. They deserve so much worse. "

Rouge nodded, understanding his reasoning. Anyone who helped Eggman, just for the sake of money, deserved to be punished, especially if they already had enough money to begin with. She wondered just what could've caused him to call his own creator the most heartless man on the planet. He reminded her of Omega at that moment, only without the desire to destroy his creator, having merely resentment for him. He truly had turned against Eggman. She wondered why he didn't want him destroyed and merely resented him instead of regarding him with pure hatred. But she soon decided not to try to get the information out of him, because he would never be honest with her about it. She was lucky she had learned as much as she did. She would just have to read between the lines.

Ten minutes later, they were on the last row of containers, flying closer and closer to the middle row from the opposite sides of the room, with the agreement that Metal Sonic would fly over it to avoid flying into each other. Rouge was flying at a slightly slower speed than normal, but was still able to fly. She could fly while carrying Shadow and Omega, so flying with a backpack full of diamonds wasn't that far-fetched. It wasn't even the first time she had done it. Annoyed and impatient, Rouge complained, " How are we supposed to know which container is the right one, anyways? It's not like there's going to be a sign on it saying, ' Doctor Eggman's Robot Materials Here! ' "

" No, but there might as well be. Look! " Metal Sonic called out, stopping over a container that was clearly full of robot materials, with piles of metal and wires clearly visible in it from above. Rouge exclaimed, " Yes! " and flew over to the container, happy and relieved that the tedious search was finally over. She unzipped the small side bottom-left pocket of her backpack, and after Metal Sonic lifted up a large pile of metal with one arm, she stuck the small microchip onto the inner wall of the container, making sure it would be hidden as it relayed to GUN its exact coordinates. Rouge said triumphantly, " Finally done! " Metal Sonic said in annoyance, " Now let's get out of here, " and started flying away at her speed, with her flying after him out of the storage room and into the hallway in front of it.

" Mechs! " Rouge exclaimed at seeing GUN mechs standing in a line in the hallway leading to the storage room. Metal Sonic determined that they must have been automatically activated in response to the security door being destroyed, and immediately got to work destroying them, thankful that he had an opportunity to do so. He activated his boost and viciously attacked all of the mechs at Mach 4, slicing through them and tearing them apart with his spindash, homing-attack, and even his own claws, until there wasn't a single mech in the hallway left, only piles of scrap metal with oil leaking out of them. He didn't leave a single one behind for Rouge to fight, and she crossed her arms and pouted, complaining playfully, " Leave some for me next time! " and smiled, being reminded of Omega again. Metal Sonic replied, " Don't count on it, " and flew down the hallway, with her quickly flying after him with a smile as they flew down the hallways of the building and eventually left it through the back entrance, flying up into the sky to return to the GUN private jet that was waiting for them hidden in a forest grove several miles away.


	38. Chapter 38

It didn't take long for Metal Sonic and Rouge to fly back into the private jet that had taken them to the ore refinery in the first place. Metal Sonic wasn't all that opposed to being brought to Sonic's house with a jet when he had a jet engine of his own, mainly because he liked to conserve his energy whenever possible. He had barely slept at all two nights ago, and the night after that, he had to go to sleep hours earlier than usual just to attempt to make up for the sleep that he missed. Combining that with the amount of energy he expended during his mission, and he was feeling pretty tired. If he had an opportunity to be taken home without expending more energy than necessary, he was going to take full advantage of it.

They sat down in the seats on the left side of the room and put on their seatbelts, with Metal Sonic tightening his just in case and Rouge sitting right beside him with a smile, in an even better mood than she was when they started. She said, " Thanks for the help today, " and when he shrugged, she continued, " I mean it, Metal Sonic! I really appreciate it! You know, there were some people I know who were worried about me when I was assigned to go on a mission with you, and I'm glad I proved them wrong. They were all stuck in the past, thinking that if you betrayed the doctor, you'd betray _anyone,_ but I got to see for myself that you're loyal and trustworthy. I'm glad I did. "

Metal Sonic felt a mixture of embarrassment and satisfaction at hearing that someone had faith in him, and someone who wasn't even a comrade of his, at that; satisfaction at being given hope that the world might actually understand him and appreciate him someday, and embarrassment at appreciating it. Trying to hide the emotional impact that her speech just had on him, he shrugged and said with a serious and professional tone,

" I'm _always_ loyal to the people I'm working with. One of the concepts I value more than anything else, is loyalty. I may have betrayed my creator a lot, but he's the exception to the rule. I was raised in a culture that put _great_ _emphasis_ on loyalty, not just to your creator, but to the people working with you towards a common goal. I cannot _stand_ being betrayed, and with one significant exception, I _refuse_ to cause anyone else to put up with that. So it should really come as no surprise that I would stay loyal to you during the mission. Unless higher loyalties come into conflict, such as my comrades being threatened, I'll stay loyal to _anyone,_ even a temporary ally. "

Rouge didn't fail to notice the impact of what he had said. Not only had he referred to the other robots working for Eggman as people, but he revealed that he had his own values and standards, as if he had developed an honor code from being " raised " to be loyal and obedient to Eggman and his robots. She couldn't believe that Eggman's most dangerous and infamous killer robot had his own morality. From what he had said, he implied that he had been betrayed himself, and had the empathy in him to be against putting someone else through that, unless they were Eggman. Did Eggman betray him? Would the doctor really be that idiotic as to betray his most powerful robot? It didn't seem to make much sense, unless he had done it without realizing it. Rouge was curious, but since she knew that he would be reluctant to open up to her and tell her what started his resentment of his own creator in the first place, she decided to keep quiet and try to figure it out on her own.

Rouge said cheerfully, " Oh, come on, do we really _have_ to be just ' _temporary_ allies? ' I'd say we work pretty well together! I trust you, and I've proven that you can trust me because I didn't do anything to hinder your progress! " Metal Sonic replied with his arms crossed, " That doesn't mean I should trust you. You're still a person I barely know. You still lied to me, tricked me and manipulated me during the mission to get information out of me. Why should I trust you? Just because I can trust you not to hinder the progress of the mission that we're both trying to complete doesn't mean you're trustworthy in general. "

Looking unhappy at being confronted on her behavior, she explained, " I wanted to find out more about you because I was worried about you, and I care about you! I know it may be hard to believe, but it's true. I wasn't doing it for selfish reasons, I was trying to get you to open up to me because I cared. " Metal Sonic looked sad at hearing that. He wanted to believe that someone could care about him that easily, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. At the same time, a part of him regretted making her upset by revealing that he didn't think she cared about him, and he turned away to look out the window and prevent her from seeing the expression on his face. " Why would you care about me? " he questioned, hoping in vain that he wouldn't sound as upset as he was.

Rouge admitted, " Why wouldn't I? After you saved the world with Sonic, you proved that you weren't like everyone thought you were. You proved that you had a heart. So when you were assigned to work with me on a mission, of course I cared about you! And besides… and more importantly… you remind me of my closest friends. The way you act so _distant_ and not caring about anything, with a serious attitude that doesn't show much emotion, you remind me of Shadow. "

Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile a little, while still having his arms crossed, and said, " Thanks, I get that a lot… " making it clear that he took being compared to Shadow as a compliment. But when he looked shocked and doubtful afterwards, he said something that surprised Rouge even more. " Wait, hold on a minute here. Closest friends? You expect me to believe that you've become a close friend of Shadow the Hedgehog? _The_ Shadow the Hedgehog? That's a very big claim to make. "

Rouge couldn't believe it. On the one hand, the fact that Metal Sonic had developed such a respect for Shadow that he considered being friends with him to be an honor fascinated her. She couldn't wait to find out what had caused him to not only remember him, but admire him, and to the point of considering being compared to him a compliment he was barely worthy of. The fact that such a proud robot idolized Shadow so much was both amusing and intriguing. But on the other hand, the fact that he was surprised to learn that she was friends with Shadow worried her even more. Did he really forget her that much?

" And when you reveal that you've forgotten so many of your memories, you remind me of him even more! You _saw_ me with him _years_ ago! And now you don't even _remember!_ Metal, the reason I was so worried about your memory is that Shadow's had memory lapses, too! You've never had _amnesia,_ but you both forget things that you wouldn't be expected to! " Rouge said passionately, looking concerned about him again. He still had a hard time getting used to the idea that someone like her could get so worried about someone else. For a selfish jewel thief, she had depths.

" What do you mean? " Metal Sonic asked, trying to sound skeptical and revealing his nervousness in the process. " The first year I knew him, he told me that he didn't remember his _own_ _birthday,_ and I had to go all the way to the ARK to find out! Oh, um, don't tell him I told you that, " Rouge revealed to him. Metal Sonic was shocked at hearing that. " How could he forget _his_ _own birthday?_ " he said unhappily, more to himself than to her.

" He said that it didn't seem important. What GUN ended up finding out was that he was _intentionally_ _designed_ to have a memory that would easily discard memories that weren't important enough to him so that his brain could _make_ _room_ for the amount of memories he'd get from living for as long as he will. It's to make sure he can still store memories hundreds of years later! " Rouge explained.

Metal Sonic replied in a serious and matter-of-fact tone, " So it's a biological adaptation for immortality, " not being surprised at all. He had known for years that Shadow, being the ultimate life form and all, was going to live for an unusually long time, being immune to aging and sickness, so the only thing that surprised him was that memory lapses were something he suffered from, something that he had to deal with in order to prevent his " memory banks " from getting full. While he himself suffered from memory lapses as well, Shadow was deliberately designed to have them from the very beginning. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him at hearing that, despite believing that he had it a lot worse than him.

" Exactly! " Rouge replied right away, choosing not to comment on the fact that Metal Sonic not only remembered Shadow, but remembered being told by Eggman what exactly he was years ago. Rouge said unhappily, " But you have the same problem that he does _despite_ not being designed to have it! You can't _blame_ me for getting worried that something had _happened_ to you to cause all of that. You may not have amnesia like Shadow used to, but when you tell me how much you can't remember, you still _remind_ me of _him._ "

Metal Sonic sighed. Looking wary of her, he questioned, " Are you going to tell anyone on my side the information you gathered about me? I can understand you telling your employers what you've learned, because that's expected of you as an employee, but I don't need word getting out to _anyone else_ about everything I've revealed to you today… I would consider it a betrayal. "

She reassured him, " You don't have to worry about it getting out to the wrong people. I won't tell Sonic, or Tails, or Knuckles, or anyone else about this other than my higher-ups at GUN. You can trust me with this, I promise. Do I look like I have anything to gain from betraying your trust? I'm not an idiot. " Even she acknowledged that as gutsy as she was with the way she was behaving towards him, even she was intimidated by the consequences of betraying Metal Sonic.

" Alright, I believe you, " Metal Sonic said warily, deciding to trust her. " Were you about to tell me something? " Rouge asked, not failing to notice how he had seemingly changed the subject on her. Metal Sonic sighed. He wasn't entirely comfortable with admitting it to her, but he wouldn't feel at ease until he did. He knew that the man piloting the private jet couldn't hear any of their conversation, having headphones on listening to the radio with the volume up high at the moment, so if she really could be trusted, the information he was going to give her wouldn't leave the room.

" I have almost no memory of the first week of my life… " he admitted unhappily, looking away from her as he said it. Rouge had to hold back gasping at hearing that, and was immediately filled with questions that she hoped he would proceed to answer on his own. Figuring that he might as well elaborate on what he said, Metal Sonic explained reluctantly,

" I only retain three memories from that time in my life; the event that caused me to permanently _resent_ the _idiot scientist,_ my loss in Stardust Speedway… and my _loss_ in the _Death Egg Mk II..._ Both of those losses resulted in my forehead being damaged from flying into a wall at over the speed of sound. It's not that surprising, considering what I went through, that I would end up suffering memory loss. Head injuries will do that to you. "

He shrugged apathetically and looked away to hide his nervousness, being fully aware that he wasn't able to bring himself to reveal the full story to her. He couldn't tell her just how much of an impact slamming into an electrified wall had on him, both physically and psychologically. While memory loss could be caused by a head injury, electrocution and posttraumatic stress could cause it as well, and with all three of those combined into one, it was no wonder that his memory banks suffered permanent damage. And it was just his luck that the few memories he retained of the happiest week of his life, when he was just a naïve and cheerful kid who didn't mind the circumstances of his existence, were the worst experiences he had ever suffered through. He could barely bring himself to describe what had happened on the Death Egg Mk II, especially not to someone who he didn't even consider a comrade of his, and the event that caused him to lose all respect for Eggman, he could only describe vaguely, because telling her what happened would reveal weaknesses in him that he wanted to hide.

Rouge suspected that he wasn't telling her the full story, and secretly decided that she would do research on what GUN knew about his life between being built and losing to Sonic on the Death Egg Mk II to try to figure out what had gone wrong.

She said with concern, " So, almost everything before the doctor's second takeover of Little Planet, you've completely forgotten? " He nodded, but he tried as hard as he could to pretend that it was meaningless to him, saying nonchalantly, " It's not a big deal. My circumstances hadn't changed. It's just the way I reacted to them that did. I still knew who I was, and I still remembered the most significant events of my life. It was just the insignificant things I forgot. Besides, I was so young and naïve back then, I'd be _ashamed_ to remember how I acted at the time, so reckless and idealistic and, _happy…_ " There was a silence as he looked depressed with downcast eyes, wistfully looking back on how happy he used to be, and then said,

" I'm better off without those memories. Most of what I forget is either not important enough to me or something I'd prefer not to remember. There can be advantages to not remembering every little thing. Some things are better left forgotten. As much as I value knowledge and wisdom, even I'm going to admit that sometimes, ignorance is bliss! "

Rouge felt incredibly sorry for him at hearing all of that. From what she could gather, his loss on the Death Egg Mk II had not only caused him to develop almost total amnesia that Eggman couldn't fix, but had actually changed his personality. When he talked about how he used to be before that, he almost sounded like he was describing Sonic. Did he used to be like Sonic? Did accumulating multiple head injuries one after the other, the former of which might not have been properly fixed, result in him developing lingering CPU damage that damaged his memory banks and changed who he was? Or was the sheer impact of losing to Sonic, the person he was based on and implicitly expected to measure up to, a defining factor that contributed to his change?

She was incredibly worried, and full of questions about what had happened to him, but she knew that she couldn't just ask him to clarify on what he had said. Considering how vague he was being and how uncomfortable he looked, she was extremely lucky that he told her as much as he did, and asking for clarification would only make him tell her to mind her own business. She didn't mean to be nosy. She couldn't help being curious, and worried. At least when Shadow developed amnesia, he used the Chaos Emeralds to recover. Metal Sonic got amnesia and never got his memories back, and from the looks of it, he didn't want to, because they would only remind him of a time when he was happy and depress him at how much things had changed. So instead of trying to get more answers out of him in futility, she decided to leave it at that.

" Your secret's safe with me, Metal. I promise, " she said sincerely. Looking at her with a serious expression, Metal Sonic replied, " I hope it is. I've only shared this knowledge with my closest of comrades; Metal Knuckles, Orbot and Cubot. You may see them as just another group of Eggman's robots, but to me, they're my family, and they understand me more than anyone else. I haven't even told this to Sonic, because it would only worry him. Tails would probably want to attempt to recover my memories and mess around with my mind, and as good as his intentions would be, I still consider that brainwashing. And Knuckles? " He looked disdainful and bitter, which worried Rouge, and said in a voice full of resentment and devoid of trust, " I wouldn't trust him if my life depended on it. "

Author's Notes: Sorry to end on a cliff-hanger, but I've already written way more than I usually do every morning. It took me two hours just to write this much. Sure, it's only four pages, but a writer has to think about how to properly structure and phrase sentences and keep the characters in character and it's just a lot harder than it looks. I know that a lot of time passed between Sonic CD and Sonic 4 in-universe, so when he says the first week of his life, he's referring to the fact that from his perspective, he had only gained at most two weeks' worth of memories by the time he had being electrocuted, depending on how many days Sonic CD, Episode Metal and Episode 2 spanned. He had technically been around a lot longer than two weeks, but he spent most of that time deactivated on Stardust Speedway, so he wouldn't have gained any memories from that.


	39. Chapter 39

" Why don't you trust Knuckles?! " Rouge asked, shocked and confused by Metal Sonic's display of resentment. She knew that he trusted Sonic, Tails and Amy, so finding out that he still hated Knuckles was surprising. She said in annoyance, " Is it because you think he's an idiot? I know he's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but you can still rely on him! "

Metal Sonic replied resentfully, " He's _not_ an idiot. " Rouge was even more confused by that, especially since he seemed to hate even the concept of standing up for him. " Huh? What do you mean? " Rouge asked.

Looking out of the window with his arms crossed, he said in a serious tone, " He's not an idiot, he's just clueless sometimes. He spent most of his life isolated on an island and this left him ignorant about things like social customs, pop culture, and various common knowledge about the outside world. He's no different from me in that respect. He has no experience with restraining emotions like anger because he didn't really need to until five years ago, so he lashes out at everyone with a short temper because he wasn't trained all his life not to. Intelligence is a lot more complicated than people make it look. He's socially inept and certainly ignorant, but whether or not he's a complete imbecile is irrelevant to my resentment for him. "

Rouge was thrown for a loop from what he had just said. She had never heard anyone say that Knuckles _wasn't_ an idiot, and the fact that he understood him well enough to come to that conclusion made her confused about his lack of trust all the more. " Then why _do_ you resent him? " Rouge questioned, looking frustrated with him.

" Why would I trust the kind of person who would turn on his comrades and attack them? After everything Sonic did for him, and for the world, that ingrate _still_ has the _gall_ to harm him without remorse! I would think that at the very least, the definition of a friend would be someone you can always trust not to hurt you. But not only does he not fit that definition, but he lets his comrade's _mortal enemy_ give him an excuse to fight him over and over and over again, and from what I've heard, he's never even _implied_ that he regrets it. What about the two times he got Eggman to build him a modified Eggmobile to attack Sonic in?! He could've gotten him killed! He could've gotten him injured! His own friend, and he doesn't even care about him enough to think ahead and realize how much danger he's putting him in! How _could_ he? I put my loyalty to Sonic above _everything_ else, I would rather be _destroyed_ than fight him again, and Knuckles has such _little_ respect for him that it took him _three years_ to stop engaging him in life-threatening fights! He's lucky that Sonic took him back after betraying him four times in a row. And he never even said that he was sorry. Sonic deserves better than him… " Metal Sonic ranted.

Rouge would have never expected Metal Sonic to hate Knuckles for not being loyal enough to Sonic. As much as she didn't like hearing him call Knuckles a traitor, it was hard to argue with his reasoning, and he at least had a sympathetic and noble reason for not trusting him. After a few seconds of silence, Metal Sonic continued,

" And that's not even mentioning the fact that he's stopping at _nothing_ to try to _ruin my life._ No matter what I do or what I say, he _still_ won't stop being suspicious of me and treating me like I'm pure _evil!_ He's always _questioning_ me and _interrogating_ me to try to ' _prove_ ' that I'm untrustworthy so that Sonic can kick me out! Without Sonic's support, I'd have a life on the run, with everyone coming after me to reprogram or scrap me, and I _refuse_ to put up with such a miserable existence! I mean, why do you think I took so long to leave Eggman in the first place? It wasn't until a few _months_ ago that Sonic even told me that joining his side was an _option!_ Before then, I had assumed that he would _never_ trust me, but not only did he trust me, but he gave me a safe place to sleep at night and a supportive group of comrades and brought me on a mission that resulted in the world beginning to see me for who I really am! After everything Sonic's done for me with me barely doing anything to earn it, you can't blame me for getting frustrated when he lets Knuckles attack him and contradict him and forgives him again and again when he never even said that he was sorry. But what am I supposed to do, tell him how I feel? Oh, _yeah,_ that'll _work!_ I'll get in trouble with Sonic and Knuckles will just feel victimized! Nothing good would come of it. "

Rouge sighed, and said, " I don't blame you for being upset with him for all of that, but if you two don't learn to get along, it'll just make it even _more_ stressful adjusting to working together. Both of you need to let go of your grudges towards each other and focus on what you have in common! It'll be a lot less stressful for everyone involved if you learn to get along. "

" That's easier said than done. Why should I let go of _my_ grudge if he won't let go of _his?_ I'm not gonna look like a pathetic pushover by being nice to someone who treats me like a heartless killing machine. " Metal Sonic said bitterly. " Well, _one_ of you has to do it first. And I doubt it'll be _him,_ considering how _stubborn_ he can be. " Rouge said in annoyance. She wished that the two of them could just get along. There was potential for a strong friendship between them, but it wouldn't happen if neither of them let go of their grudges and trusted each other.

Wanting her to stop being annoyed with him and lecturing him, Metal Sonic sighed and said reluctantly, " Look, I'll tell you what. If he ever realizes I'm not pure evil and starts treating me halfway decently, then I _suppose_ I'll be able to forgive him _eventually._ If _he_ treats _me_ with respect, I'll treat _him_ with respect. But right _now,_ I don't trust him, and he's not welcome in my home. " Rouge smiled a little and said, " Alright. " That was as good as she was going to get from him, so she wisely decided to leave it at that.

As the private jet flew closer and closer to the Mystic Ruins for a landing, Metal Sonic questioned, " So my paycheck's getting mailed to Sonic's house, right? Because I'm not telling GUN where I live, and as I said before, I'm _not_ working for free. " Rouge said with a smile, " Yep! I'll tell the GUN Commander that you wanted to be paid. When he's done doing the paperwork for your citizenship, he'll let you know! You'll get a letter in the mail. " Metal Sonic replied, " Good, " speaking in a serious and emotionless tone to keep subtle just how much he appreciated the answer. He never could've imagined in his lifetime that he would not only get a paycheck from GUN for completing a mission for them, but actually get acknowledged as a citizen with the same rights as everyone else. It felt too good to be true, and the last thing he wanted to do was celebrate too early and jinx it.

Soon, the private jet reached Sonic's house, and Metal Sonic opened the door and flew out of it after being instructed to do so by the pilot, and Rouge thanked him for his assistance as she closed the door behind him. She sat back down on her seat, put her seatbelt back on, and sighed with concern from everything she had learned that day.


	40. Chapter 40

Meanwhile, Amy was sitting beside Cream on the train to the Mystic Ruins where Metal Sonic lived. She was as cheerful and optimistic as ever, in direct contrast with Cream, who looked nervous and uneasy. " _Come on,_ Cream, get _excited!_ " Amy said with a smile, making Cream look even more wary. " I don't know, Amy. The last time I saw him, he- " she began to say, only for Amy to interrupt her and say, " That was _years_ ago! He's _changed!_ And I'm gonna _prove_ it. You're gonna see for yourself that he's turned over a new leaf! "

Cream sighed unhappily, shaking her head with her hand on it as she dreaded coming face to face with Eggman's most infamous robot once again. She was barely four-years-old when she fought against him with Sonic and his friends, and the experience almost gave her nightmares. Amy, on the other hand, had complete faith in Metal Sonic from the minute she had been told he left Eggman. Ever since she was able to convince Gamma to release her from her cell in the Egg Carrier, she had believed that there was good in Eggman's robots that she could bring out, and it was because of that combined with her idealism that she was so willing to give him a chance.

Soon, the train stopped, and the automatic doors opened up to an archaeologist cabin in front of the train tracks that overlooked a grassy meadow of varying elevation. Amy stood up from her seat and said excitedly, " Come on, let's go! " rushing out of the train with Cream reluctantly following behind her. They left the train and headed down the wooden staircases leading to the grassy ground of the Mystic Ruins, with Amy being full of excitement as she brought Cream to Sonic and Tail's house on the hill.

Metal Sonic was on the living room couch reading the last couple pages of his library book when Amy suddenly opened the front door and went up to him with a smile. " Hi, Metal! Congratulations on saving the world! Guess who I've brought to come and see you? " she said cheerfully, with a sing-songey tone for the last sentence.

" Um, a friend of yours? " Metal Sonic guessed nervously, looking confused and giving her a mathematician's answer to get away with not trying to give her a name. Amy giggled and said, " It's Cream! You know Cream, don't you? "

Looking completely confused and nervous, Metal Sonic's eyes darted all around the room as he answered awkwardly, " Um, yes, uh, of course I know cream. It's an edible food product that you put on, _cake,_ and, uh, bagels. " Being a robot who didn't need to eat, he didn't have much familiarity with food, with all of his knowledge of it coming from Eggman when he bothered to pay attention, so even answering the question as best as he could have ended up being difficult for him. Amy giggled in amusement at his confused reaction and incorrect answer, and said, " No, silly, I mean my best friend! Come on, Cream, come inside! "

A short rabbit Mobian with ears styled as ponytails wearing an orange dress with blue laces, orange and yellow shoes, and white gloves with a nervous expression on her face reluctantly walked into the house. She looked to be slightly younger than Tails. She politely bowed and said nervously, " H-Hello again, um, Mr. Metal Sonic, sir. I've heard good things about you… "

Metal Sonic looked nervous and confused, which helped ease her anxiety at seeing him again as he revealed that he had more facial expressions than just an intimidating glare. From the fact that she said, " again, " it was clear that she had met him before and he had forgotten about it, which made him once again embarrassed of his faulty memory. She was unusually polite to him, to the point of referring to him with formalities like, " sir, " and, " Mister, " and bowing to him, and he was uncomfortable with the idea that she was only doing it out of fear. After all, the only reason anyone was ever that polite to him was out of fear. Even the robots in Eggman's base, who admired him more than any other one of their kind, called him, " Metal, " informally, and were only that polite when they were intimidated by him. He didn't like being reminded of just how afraid of him a lot of people were. It was disturbing.

But at the same time, he couldn't complain about it without scaring Cream even more and getting in trouble with Amy for it. It was just something he'd have to deal with. He wondered how he met her in the first place. He didn't want yet another reminder that he used to carry out Eggman's orders, and he hoped that he hadn't inconvenienced her at any point. More than anything, he hoped it would be easy for him to hide the fact that he had no memory of her. She certainly seemed familiar, but he didn't remember her, and if he did anything to upset her when he was working for Eggman, he might come off as insensitive and self-absorbed if he revealed that he had forgotten what he did to her.

" Hey, " Metal Sonic said nonchalantly to greet her while pretending to continue reading his book, managing to sound both aloof and friendly at the same time. If he tried too hard to be nice to her, he might come off as fake and manipulating, and he would be even less comfortable, so he decided to play it cool and be aloof as usual, for the most part, anyway. Both him and Cream were uncomfortable, but for different reasons, and Cream was getting progressively less uncomfortable by the second at noticing just how different he was already from the last time she saw him.

Amy said cheerfully, " Don't mind her, she's just a little nervous. I told her _all_ _about_ how you joined Sonic's side and helped him save the world! I even told her about when you worked with Sonic and Tails on that rescue mission! So she knows _all_ _about_ how much you've changed! It'll just take her a bit to get used to it, that's all. Cream, why don't you watch some TV with him while I get you some milk and cookies? "

Before Cream could even say anything in response, Amy had already turned on the television and went into the kitchen, leaving her alone with Eggman's most dangerous robot. Even though the TV had been turned on, he didn't look up from his book. Cream was worried that he would attack her or be rude to her while Amy wasn't there to see it, but to her relief, he continued acting the same way as before. Getting more relaxed, she was able to get herself to smile, albeit nervously, as she said while trying to find something on TV to watch for herself, " You're a _lot_ nicer than I thought you'd be, Mr. Metal Sonic! "

" You can call me Metal, if you want. All my friends do, " he replied. It was rare that he actually said the word friend instead of comrade in front of someone who wasn't a part of his family, but he figured that the little girl would find it easier to trust and relate to him if he spoke more casually. His usual formal, intellectual, " robot speak, " would only intimidate her more.

" Alright, um, Metal. I-I like your name! It's, uh, it's nice to see that we're friends! " Cream said with a nervous smile. She sighed, and said, " I'm sorry I'm so jittery. It's just hard to get used to the idea of being friends with my best friend's former kidnapper… "

Metal Sonic looked shocked at hearing that, and his eyes darted around the room in a mixture of nervousness, confusion and frustration with himself for failing to remember what she referenced, with only the book in front of him to hide his emotional turmoil. He thought, " _Kidnapper? Did I kidnap Amy? That doesn't sound like me. I'd have nothing to gain from it, and I wouldn't enjoy it. I must have just been following orders. Why would my idiot boss have told me to do that?... And why did she forgive me for it?_ "

By the time Amy had come back into the room holding a plate of cookies in one hand and a cup of milk in the other, Metal Sonic had begun to feel unworthy of being trusted so easily by her. He didn't realize he had done anything against her at all, but now that he knew he had, whether it was his decision or not, he felt like he hadn't done enough to earn it. He was frustrated with himself for being that upset when it was Eggman who told him to kidnap her in the first place, and wondered why he was feeling that way when it wasn't really his fault. It was almost as if he felt guilty.

Amy said happily, " Here you go, Cream! " as she placed the plate of cookies and cup of milk on the table in front of Cream, who had found a TV show to watch at last. " Amy? " She was surprised and confused at hearing Metal Sonic speak to her in a depressed tone, and looked at him in concern as he lowered his book to face her properly and said sadly and quietly, " I'm sorry. "

Amy said, " Huh? For what? " thinking it came out of nowhere. She and Cream turned to face him as he said unhappily with downcast eyes, " It has just occurred to me that I never properly apologized to you for being your enemy all these years. I don't know why you would accept me on your side so quickly after all that, but thank you. "

Amy sat down beside him with a concerned look on her face. She was proud of him for finally apologizing, and without needing to be told to do it at that, but she didn't like seeing him so depressed, and neither did Cream, who was shocked that he was feeling remorseful at all. Amy said with a comforting smile, " Oh, Metal, don't feel so bad. That was years ago! Sure, we didn't have the best of meetings, since you _kidnapped me_ and all, but that was the past. You're different now. "

" I wish that hadn't happened. I just want you to know that I wouldn't have chosen to do that on my own. I was just following orders. I didn't want to suffer the consequences of open defiance, so whenever I couldn't get away with breaking his rules, I would follow them reluctantly. But even though I know it's not my fault and Eggman's the one responsible, I still can't help but be unhappy with what I did to you. For my role in all of that, I apologize… " Metal Sonic apologized reluctantly, not wanting to look like he had gone soft because of it while knowing he wouldn't feel any better until he did it.

Amy smiled and said, " Thanks, Metal. It must have been hard for you to say that. Of course I forgive you! And so does Cream! Right, Cream? " Instead of looking nervous, the little girl happily giggled and hugged him. He was surprised, but immediately returned the hug, having been given so many of them by Metal Knuckles that absentmindedly returning them was a force of habit. Cream was uneasy about trusting him at first, but after seeing him express remorse for his wrongdoings, she warmed up to him immediately. There was still a lingering fear of him that pressured her to be careful about what she said, but after seeing just how much he had changed since the Metal Overlord Incident, she was able to see him as a separate person from the dangerous robot she fought years ago, and she liked that person.

After six seconds, the hug ended, and Cream asked cheerfully after unmuting the TV, " Have you ever watched this show before, Metal? It's about a boy who has these magical faeries that grant him wishes! It's not as good as it used to be since it introduced a Scrappy-Doo-like character to the main cast, but- "

" Metal Sonic? " Knuckles interrupted, getting everyone to look over at him and realize he was watching them from the kitchen the whole time. He looked suspiciously at Metal Sonic with his arms crossed, and said in annoyance, " Can I talk to you for a minute? "

* * *

Author's Notes: I think Cream has a lot of potential to be a good character, especially in the hands of a writer who knows how to use her effectively. Her major problem is her voice. She'd make a relatable CloudcuckooLander's Minder to Amy Rose's antics, and if they did more to deconstruct her ultra-polite attitude like explain that she's taken advantage of and doesn't have friends at school because of it, she'd be an interesting and sympathetic character. They have to stop having her talk like she's inhaled a balloon full of helium, and put her in the hands of a creative writer who's not afraid to deconstruct a character and flesh them out, and there you go. Really, nearly every Sonic character has potential to be a good character in the hands of a good enough writer. Well, I'm only familiar with the games, but even the comics has some characters with a lot of potential. Also, I finally finished high school, woo-hoo! See you for another chapter tomorrow.


	41. Chapter 41

Metal Sonic rolled his eyes and said, " Fine, " reluctantly following Knuckles out the front door so that they could talk without being overheard by Amy and Cream. After closing the door behind him, Metal Sonic said with his arms crossed, " What is it now? " not looking pleased with the suspicious way Knuckles was looking at him.

" Why were you so confused? " Knuckles questioned bluntly, skipping straight to the point. Looking nervous, Metal Sonic realized what he was referring to immediately and denied, " I wasn't confused. "  
" Yes, you were! Don't lie to me! I know a confused reaction when I see one! " Knuckles yelled at him, reminding him to his dismay that the two of them had another thing in common; they were both very prone to feeling confused. Knuckles questioned, " Why didn't you recognize Cream's name? You thought she was referring to _literal_ cream! Which, by the way, does _not_ go on bagels. That's cream _cheese._ I'd _hate_ to see _your_ cooking. " Since he had lived all alone on an island for the first 11 years of his life, it was only natural that he'd develop a proficiency at cooking, at the very least so that he could survive. In fact, cooking was one of the few things that he was interested in enough to learn about on his own.

" Can you blame me? How was I supposed to know she was friends with someone named Cream? Not exactly a common name! " Metal Sonic replied. " You've met her before! Y-You're starting to make me think that you've forgotten all about her! " Knuckles said angrily.

" She's never been a big presence in my life, so even if I did forget all about her, which I'm not confirming that I did, you can't blame me for not remembering her. She looked familiar, sure, but for all I knew, I had just seen her while I was flying over Station Square on the way to or from a mission. It didn't mean I actually met her, " Metal Sonic said, trying to remain calm and be as nonchalant as possible. Getting just as frustrated as Knuckles would just be stooping to his level.

" What are you talking about, she was a huge presence in your life! She fought you two and a half _years_ ago, when you were impersonating Eggman! Remember? " Knuckles shot back at him, beginning to wonder if Eggman had erased his memories of the Metal Overlord Incident to prevent him from trying it again. Worried that he couldn't keep the secret from coming out, Metal Sonic said nervously, " Yeah, well, um, that was a long time ago, " lying in frustration with shifty eyes.

" That doesn't explain why you don't remember it! Your kidnapping of Amy was _five and a half_ years ago, and from the look of surprise you had from being reminded of it, you clearly don't remember that, either! " Knuckles said. He didn't want to admit it, but he was actually starting to get worried about him. Of course, he used frustration to cover that up as much as he possibly could.

" That was my _entire life_ ago! I was only a _week old_ back then! Do _you_ remember when you were a week old? Yeah, I didn't think so! " Metal Sonic stammered in reply, using frustration to hide his growing anxiety that Knuckles was figuring things out. " I wasn't even a toddler back then! You had the brain of a ten-year-old back then! Or at least a CPU that imitated it. There's no reason for you to not remember what I assume is the very first mission you've ever had! " Knuckles said.

" No reason? I slammed my forehead into a metal wall at four times the speed of sound! And then it happened _again_ to an even _worse_ extent! Last time I checked, head injuries can cause memory loss! It's not my fault! And again, that was a very long time ago. Can we just drop it? So what if I've forgotten some things, everyone forgets things from time to time! It doesn't mean their memory system is faulty! Why would _you_ care, anyway? So what if I've forgotten things? How does _this_ tie into your little _paranoid conspiracy theory_ that I'm not to be trusted? " Metal Sonic said in frustration, trying to change the subject before Knuckles started figuring out even more.

" You kidnapped Amy and tied her up on Stardust Speedway, and you fought a little girl multiple times while doing the exact same thing as Eggman! How could you not remember that?! How could you not remember doing such evil things?! Do you just not care? Are they so unimportant to you and so normal to you that you forgot about them like they were a regular Tuesday? Do you have any idea how insensitive and self-absorbed it comes across to just forget that you did such evil things? No one just forgets stuff like that! They were major, significant events! So either you lied about feeling guilty for them or there's something you're not telling me about. No one forgets things like that without a very good reason! What is it?! Did your master erase your memories? "

" First off, no, he didn't erase my memories at any point, because then he'd have a less experienced robot on his hands. He didn't need to make me forget about that _incident_ two and a half years ago because all he had to do was take away my shapeshifting upgrade. Second, I already told you that I got head injuries from my losses on Stardust Speedway and the Death Egg Mk II. They're more than good enough explanations for my forgetting about my first mission! And third, don't call him my master. That implies I had a lot more devotion to him than I did. He was a boss who made me work for free. At no point in my life did I _ever_ think of him as my master, and the very idea of it makes me sick, " Metal Sonic said resentfully, calmly responding to him with underlying bitterness.

Knuckles knew from spying on him on Westside Island that Metal Sonic thought of Eggman as more than just his boss, but since revealing what he knew would only get him another lecture about minding his own business, he wisely decided to let that slide. " Okay, so you've explained why you forgot about kidnapping Amy, but what about Cream? You met her years _after_ that! Unless you have some lingering CPU damage that Eggman was too lazy to fix, there's no reason for you to forget her! " Knuckles questioned.

" Well, maybe I _do_ have a damaged memory! Maybe Eggman _was_ too lazy to properly fix me! And hell, maybe I forgot about the Metal Overlord Incident because I don't _want_ to remember! " he finally snapped at him, fed up with holding back. He never thought he would tell Knuckles, someone he outright hated, that he had lingering memory problems, but he was so fed up with the way he was being treated for his forgetfulness that he just wanted the conversation to end. But in the process, he ended up opening up to him in a way that he never intended to, revealing the magnitude of shame and guilt that he had about his greatest moment of weakness. He hadn't even clarified that the memories weren't properly recorded because he was having a mental breakdown at the time, but just being reminded of it made him upset. So when he finally snapped and said the final sentence to him, his eyes became dim, and he had to struggle to keep an angry expression. Knuckles was so taken by surprise from his upset confession that he didn't say anything in response. There was a silence as he looked at him in shock and concern, with it finally sinking in that Metal Sonic was ashamed of his behavior.

Before he could say anything, the silence was interrupted by Amy saying in annoyance, " That's enough, Knuckles! " The two of them looked at the front door in surprise, and saw that Amy and Cream had been listening in the whole time. While Amy looked irritated with Knuckles and scolded him, Cream was clearly concerned, looking at Metal Sonic sadly from sympathy. " I need to be alone, " Metal Sonic said quietly in an annoyed tone, and flew back home at the speed of sound in a blue blur before anyone could comfort him.

" What were you thinking?! He has memory loss, and the first thing you do is call him evil for it? Don't you remember what Shadow went through? Have a little empathy! " Amy scolded Knuckles with her hands on her hips. " He never said he had amnesia! It's not _that_ bad! I was just trying to find out why he had forgotten such important things! How was I supposed to know?! " Knuckles said unhappily, trying to defend himself.

Amy was just about to scold him again, until Cream stepped in front of him and said sadly, " Amy? Can we _not_ start a fight over this? He was just trying to find out what was wrong. He didn't know it would get him so upset. Sure, he was yelling at him, but that's what Knuckles _does,_ and he yells when he's worried all the time! Let's just go back inside and watch TV together. We're all friends here, remember? Knuckles just needs some time to get used to the idea that Metal Sonic's our friend now. His friendship with Sonic started out rocky, too! "

Amy remarked, " It still is, " remembering how many arguments, fights and disagreements Sonic and Knuckles had. She sighed, and said reluctantly, " Okay, you have a good point. Knuckles didn't know. He was just worried. " Knuckles sighed in relief, thankful that she understood. He was certain he was going to get met with the wrong end of her hammer. Amy said, " Let's go inside. And when we see him again, we'll pretend the whole thing never happened. Something tells me that he won't want to talk about it. " She went inside looking exasperated with him.

Knuckles managed a smile after all of the commotion and said, " Thanks, Cream. You said it better than I could've. " More than anything, he was grateful that he didn't have to admit that he was worried about Metal Sonic. Cream replied, " You're welcome. I don't like it when my friends fight. Let's just go inside. When Sonic and Tails come home, we'll tell them what happened. Maybe they'll be able to help. "


	42. Chapter 42

Walking down the staircase into Metal Sonic's home, Metal Knuckles said cheerfully, " Hi, big bro! How's it going? " only to immediately look sad at seeing that Metal Sonic was lying in his bed on his side, his normally bright eyes being dim and reflecting what was in front of them like water. He rushed over to his bed and asked in concern, " What happened? "

Metal Sonic never liked being seen in such a miserable state, so he was thankful that he was able to speak normally again as he sat up from his bed, allowed Metal Knuckles to sit beside him and put his arm around him, and explained quietly with downcast eyes, " You know how I lost all memory of bringing Amy to Stardust Speedway and can barely remember _anything_ about the _incident?_ Well, Knuckles found out. He found it suspicious that when Amy brought Cream over, I clearly didn't remember her, and that I had looked _surprised_ when she reminded me of what I did to Amy, and he _confronted_ me on it. He called me self-absorbed and _insensitive_ for not remembering my order to kidnap Amy and my mistakes two and a half years ago, and he kept insulting me and shouting at me until I finally got fed up and revealed the truth. Or at least some of it, anyways. I told him that I had forgotten about them because I had slammed my head against a metal wall and suffered head injuries in the process, and when I couldn't put up with his false accusations anymore, I ended up revealing that I didn't _want_ to remember, that the memories were so painful and shameful that I avoided thinking about them to the point where I erased them from my memory… I never wanted to reveal something like that to him! Do you realize the implications of what I had said? Because _he did!_ "

Metal Knuckles knew what he had implied by revealing that to Knuckles. There was an automatic mechanism in Metal Sonic's CPU that was designed to detect guilt and deal with it before he could dwell on it for longer than a minute. It carried out various functions in response to guilt, and when it came to his memories of carrying out missions for Eggman and even sinking to his level, the only way it could prevent him from dwelling on them too much was repression, breaking the links to the memories so that he could no longer access them. By revealing that he didn't want to remember his mistakes, he had revealed that he was ashamed enough to think of them as his mistakes, taking responsibility for his wrongdoings for once instead of blaming them on Eggman or the amount of stress he was put under. Considering how little Knuckles trusted him, being made to realize that the robot might feel guilty deep down would go a long way towards getting him to accept him on his side and trust him. Metal Knuckles knew that, and because of that, he understood that it was a good thing that Metal Sonic had revealed such a thing to Knuckles, even if it made him look weak. He knew what he was going through. He didn't want anything to hurt his reputation as a powerful robot, and he was ashamed at the idea of Knuckles seeing him as less a strong and dignified robot and more a person suffering from emotional and psychological issues. He didn't want anyone to walk on eggshells around him from thinking he was fragile. He would rather Knuckles continue treating him with suspicion and hatred than feel sorry for him and treat him with pity.

" You don't have to worry about a thing. He'll _always_ think of you as strong and powerful! If anything, this just gave him more _respect_ for you, by showing him that you weren't the evil killing machine that he thought you were. I doubt he thinks you feel guilty for following Eggman's orders or acting a little rash, but just you implying that you're ashamed enough to willingly forget what you did will improve his opinion of you. He may not exactly trust you yet, but he will. It's only a matter of time… " Metal Knuckles reassured him.

Letting it all sink in, Metal Sonic was quiet for a few seconds before replying, " You're probably right. I may hate the idea of him feeling pity for me, but if it leads to him actually being considerate to me for once, I suppose it could lead to something good… " 

Happy that he was succeeding in cheering him up, Metal Knuckles said enthusiastically, " Exactly! Every cloud has a silver lining! It's all just a matter of finding it. " He left the bed and stood on the floor beside it with a smile, but just before he could say anything else, someone knocked on the door, and Tails' voice called out with concern, " Metal? Can we talk? "


	43. Chapter 43

Tails opened the door and walked down the stairs into Metal Sonic's home, and walked up to him looking concerned. " Knuckles told me what happened, " he said, much to his dismay. Tails had been told everything; him not remembering who Cream was or recognizing her name, him apologizing to Amy about him kidnapping her, him being surprised to learn that he kidnapped her, and even him revealing to Knuckles that he didn't want to remember certain things. Metal Sonic sighed unhappily, with Metal Knuckles watching and listening in concern as Tails spoke to him.

" How much _do_ you remember? " Tails asked sadly. He knew why he had developed his memory problems in the first place. Knuckles had told him about his explanation that head injuries from his losses to Sonic in Stardust Speedway and the Death Egg Mk II were a factor. Tails combined that with his knowledge of how much Metal Sonic feared electricity, to the point of panicking from a lightning storm in front of him months ago, and it was easy for him to figure out what had happened. Head injuries, electrocution, and PTSD were all capable of causing memory loss, and with all three combined happening at once, his memory banks being damaged was inevitable. Ever since he had that experience, he had suffered from chronic memory loss, some of which was targeted towards specific memories, as well as losing almost all memory of the time between when he was built and when he was electrocuted. Remembering just how Shadow felt when he had developed amnesia, Tails was full of concern and sympathy at discovering that Metal Sonic had the same problem, only he hadn't gotten his memories back.

" Look, kiddo, you don't have to worry about that, alright? My memory's fine. I still remember important things like what I've read, what I plan to do, the people I know and certain birthdays. Everyone forgets things sometimes, no one needs to remember everything. I'm not too forgetful that I can't get through the day. That's all that matters, " Metal Sonic reassured him. " But you've forgotten some of the most significant events in your life! Aren't your memories a part of who you are?! Don't you want to remember them?!... Don't you want those memories back? " Tails asked nervously.

" No, " Metal Sonic replied firmly with his arms crossed, without even a second of hesitation to imply that he wasn't being honest. Surprised and confused, Tails said, " Huh? Wh-Why? " If Shadow wanted to regain his memories, why didn't he?

" Would _you_ want to remember carrying out the kind of orders I was given? I have _enough_ stress to deal with as it _is_ without dwelling on memories like _that._ It's bad enough I still remember the three worst experiences in my life with _vivid detail._ I don't need even more reasons to dwell on the past. I'd rather put it behind me. If that requires not remembering most of it, then so be it. There's so many holes and gaps in my memory, and I only wish there were more of them. Some things are better left forgotten. I have nothing to gain from remembering them, " Metal Sonic explained with an annoyed but depressed tone. He didn't even realize what he was revealing until it was too late.

Tails' eyes widened and he looked even more concerned at discovering that he had forgotten most of his wrongdoings. He had almost no memory of his missions, and the Metal Overlord Incident was something he barely remembered. Such a significant portion of his life, had been almost completely forgotten. He started to wonder if Metal Sonic really was repressing those memories. Could it be a mechanism in his CPU that Eggman put in to prevent guilt over following his orders? Was that what was causing him to forget his wrongdoings and mistakes? Was it not lingering CPU damage to his memory banks after all? Or was that just one factor out of several? Tails wanted to know more than anything if his theory was true, but he couldn't ask Metal Sonic, because if it was, he wouldn't be honest about it. And he couldn't ask Eggman, because he would only lie to him to manipulate him into turning on his newest friend. He decided that he would seek out the answers from someone else.

" I don't blame you for feeling that way. I was thinking maybe I could try to bring those memories back by fixing the connections to them, but you probably don't want me messing with your mind, even if it's to try to help you, " Tails said with a sad smile. " You're right about that, " Metal Sonic replied with a serious tone, secretly appreciating how much Tails understood him to the point where he didn't have to tell him that he didn't want him to reprogram him. As embarrassing and frustrating as his forgetfulness was, it was still a part of his identity, even if it was a flaw, and he didn't want anyone to alter his brain to change who he was. Eggman had done that to fix his inferiority complex and get his motivation back after the Metal Overlord Incident, and that was the only reprogramming he would ever appreciate. He saw it more as therapy or medication than as brainwashing. But changing a trait of his personality? That was something he didn't approve of, even if it would help him. It was stubborn, and irrational, but it was how he felt.

Even though Metal Sonic didn't remember all of his wrongdoings, he still felt ashamed when he was reminded of them. Even though he forgot about them, he was still remorseful of working for Eggman, and his apologizing to Amy proved it. Upon realizing that, Tails gave him a quick hug, which he immediately returned with a small smile, and after a few seconds, they let go and Tails said with a sweet smile,

" You really have changed for the better, Metal. You're like a completely different person now! And I like that person. " Metal Sonic replied with a smile, " Aw, thanks… " while Metal Knuckles watched the scene in front of him finding it heartwarming. " See you later! " Tails said while waving goodbye and walking quickly out of the house, going up the staircase and out the door.

Metal Knuckles giggled and commented, " Aw, he _is_ a sweet kid, " and Metal Sonic couldn't help but nod in agreement. Tails didn't know the full story yet, being under the impression that he only forgot things he could potentially feel guilty about, and as he ran through the woods on his way out of them, he had a plan in mind to find out exactly what was going on.


	44. Chapter 44

Worried and determined, Tails flew to Rouge's house with his tails to find out the potential cause of Metal Sonic's memory loss. When he opened the front door and walked inside, he was greeted with a mess in the living room, with various food wrappers, empty water bottles and used paper towels scattered around the floor in front of the television. He wondered if Amy was right when she called her house a dump, if unnecessarily rude. He only had to wait around for a couple of seconds before Rouge walked into the front door, eager to go to her room and admire all the diamonds she had stolen in her previous mission, only to look surprised and confused at seeing that Tails was in her house. " _I guess this is what happens when I leave the door unlocked,_ " she thought, and smiled sweetly at the eight-year-old child in front of her and ruffled his hair while saying, " Hello, Tails! Haven't seen you in a while. Still cute as a button, I see! What brings you here? "

She took her backpack off and placed it on her couch to temporarily give herself a break from its weight, and was surprised when Tails said in concern, " It's about Metal Sonic. " She turned around to face him, looking worried as he said, " When Amy introduced Cream to our new teammate, he didn't recognize her. He didn't even know her name! Even though we both know that he's met her before! And then he looked surprised when Cream mentioned that he had been ordered to kidnap Amy as his first mission! When Knuckles saw all of it and confronted him on it, he accused him of being selfish for not remembering those wrongdoings of his and he ended up getting him to reveal that he has a damaged memory! He said that Eggman hadn't fixed him properly after his fight with Sonic on the Death Egg Mk II, and that he might not remember those events in his life because he doesn't want to! Which means there might be something in his CPU that's repressing those memories for him! Maybe it's detecting his guilt and forcing him to forget so that he won't be able to dwell on what he did! You're friends with one of Eggman's robots, right? Would you know anything about this? "

Rouge answered unhappily, " Unfortunately, it's true, that guilt repressor you're talking about does exist. It's a part of every one of Eggman's robots, and its job is to detect guilt and do whatever can be done to prevent it from influencing the robot's actions. There's also something like an apathy instinct, where the robot is programmed to not be passionate about what's right or wrong, to the point where they'll get distracted if they try to dwell on how moral something is. So a robot could see a car accident or something and go, ' That's horrible! ' but that's as far as they can usually go before being distracted. Omega has free will, so he can resist these if he wants, but he just doesn't want to. Considering that Metal Sonic was able to betray the doctor, it looks like he has free will, too, so the same thing might be happening. "

Tails said sadly, " I went to his house to try to find out if he wanted me to look at his programming and see if I could get his memories back, and he told me that he didn't want to remember them, that he had enough stress in his life already without having another reason to dwell on the past. He'd rather put it behind him. " Rouge thought, " _He's trying to put the past behind him? Sounds like Shadow,_ " and Tails continued, " Maybe the guilt repressor and apathy instinct are parts of his programming that he can resist, but chooses not to because he doesn't want to deal with more stress. I know this might not sound very good, especially when it's one of the heroes saying it, but maybe he's better off not being passionate about right and wrong. All that matters is that he's accomplishing good now. Having even more stress to deal with wouldn't make adjusting to being on Sonic's side any easier. Besides, he doesn't want me to mess with his mind and change a part of who he is. I don't want him to think I can't be trusted by breaching his trust like that. "

Rouge nodded, saying, " Omega didn't want GUN to remove them from his programming, either. It was like brainwashing to him, and he didn't want to work for anyone who would do that. That's also the reason he insisted he got a paycheck for working with GUN, because he didn't want to be treated like a slave again. The only way I could convince Metal Sonic to go on a mission for GUN with me was by telling him it was to sabotage the doctor, and even then, he said he wasn't working for free. He wanted to be paid just as much as I was. He was always so serious and focused on the mission, and when we were attacked by mechs, he destroyed them all before I got the chance to do anything! He and Omega have a lot in common! The biggest difference I can see is that Metal seems to operate on a sort of honor code, and he doesn't hate the doctor like Omega does. If anything, he seems to be closer to a hero than Omega is, ironically enough. I guess since he is based on Sonic, that would influence him a lot. "

Tails told her, " His CPU used Sonic's mind as a foundation for it. He was created by a machine that took Sonic's DNA and automatically made a robot equivalent of him based on it, which basically means that when he was first created, he had a mind exactly like Sonic's, right down to the memories. Eggman didn't really program him so much as delete some stuff from the copy of Sonic's mind and make a few changes to make him work right. But if he was so heavily based off Sonic, wouldn't he have started out with Sonic's personality, too? Did Eggman change his personality during that process? Is there still Sonic's personality in him, deep down, somewhere? Or did he used to be like Sonic until something really traumatic happened that changed him? "

Rouge sighed. She didn't want him to get upset with her at finding out that she told Tails the secrets he had revealed to her. It looked like Tails was already on the road to figuring one of them out on his own, whether she said anything or not, so she had no reason to tell him what she had found out. Telling him about Metal Sonic's amnesia would only worry the kid even more, and telling him how happy Metal used to be and how embarrassed he became of his old reckless and idealistic personality would only upset him, and make it harder for him and his friends to accept Metal Sonic for who he is, focusing on who he used to be and trying to bring that back. It was better if he didn't know what she had told him. Nothing good would come of it. She replied,

" I don't know, Tails. I guess that's something you'll have to figure out on your own. All that really matters is who he is now, and how much he's changed for the better since the doctor programmed that inferiority complex out of him. I think he wants you to accept him for who he is instead of trying to change him. He might change on his own, maybe opening up to risks and enjoying himself more, but if you try to pressure him into changing, he'll only feel like he's not being accepted for who he is. "

Tails listened to what she had to say, and said, " Yeah, I guess you're right… " reluctantly admitting to himself that she could give some good advice, at least when it came to people and dealing with them. He wouldn't go to her for moral advice any time soon. " Thanks, Rouge. I'll keep that in mind, " he said with a smile, and left her house at last, returning to Sonic's house. He had no intention of telling any of his friends about the guilt repressor or apathy instinct in Metal Sonic's programming. It would only make them worry, and when it came to Knuckles, he would take it as proof that he couldn't be a hero. Rouge sighed, worrying about Metal Sonic and hoping that things would turn well for him. More than anything, she hoped that him and Knuckles could let go of their grudges against each other.

* * *

Author's Notes: So when I decided to edit all of the chapters of my story yesterday, I discovered, much to my frustration, that most of the chapters had the text all bunched together, even though I had clearly double-spaced my paragraphs properly. It turns out the problem was that I was making new paragraphs by pressing Shift and Enter instead of just Enter because the paragraphs were too below each other to my liking. Apparently the site doesn't recognize it as a new paragraph if you do it that way. Well, I learned my lesson. They really should tell you on the site that this error can happen. I double-spaced my paragraphs exactly the same way, but because I pressed Shift Enter instead of Enter, my story ended up coming out difficult to read. Well, I edited my story, so the chapters are all properly formatted with the paragraphs now, and are readable again, thank god, so now that I've learned my lesson, this shouldn't be happening anymore. I sincerely appreciate the fact that so many people have read this story and continued to read it despite the text being all bunched together, and the fact that I kept getting even more readers despite this atrocious editing glitch is all the more shocking to me. Thanks for putting up with the bunched together text and reading through the story anyway, because ugh, that was hard to read. Update: IT HAPPENED AGAIN! What the hell just happened?! All of my editing of the chapters through 8 to 44 managed to magically UNDO ITSELF and I had the text get scrunched together all over again! I had to return the horizontal lines above the Author's Notes and everything. I literally had to copy and paste the files from Live Preview to Word and replace the chapters one by one to fix the problem because I had already deleted all the files from my editing storage. Is this just a chapter-story glitch? Because it never happened with any of my other stories. I spent HOURS fixing this. It felt like all day! I swear to god, the text wasn't bunched together when I originally wrote this story. It's this glitchy site doing it on its own. I sent Help two messages about it, and they don't even acknowledge me. If this happens all over again, I'll be so pissed…

As for the story itself? I like the idea that Rouge thinks Tails is a cute and adorable kid and treats him accordingly, at least until she gets into a conversation with him anyway. She's like that overly affectionate aunt, or a big sister who teases her little siblings playfully. It's sweet, and it makes sense that she'd act that way.


	45. Chapter 45

After Tails had come to his house to find out if he wanted him to recover his memories, Metal Sonic had decided to return to Sonic and Tails' house. He didn't want them to worry because he didn't come back after Knuckles caused him to leave. After flying at the speed of sound through a forest, over a mountain and up to the highest hill in the Mystic Ruins, he landed on the ground in front of the door to their house, and reluctantly willed himself to open it and walk inside, feeling nervous and uncomfortable.

Amy and Cream were sitting on the living room couch watching television, and Sonic and Tails were in the kitchen eating chili dogs for lunch. To his dismay, Knuckles was there, too, and immediately noticed him from the armchair of the living room and called out to Sonic, " He's back, Sonic! " causing them to come out of the kitchen holding what they were eating. Sonic smiled like he always did to reassure him, but everyone else was looking at him in concern, even Knuckles. He awkwardly apologized to him while looking around the room, " Sorry about before. I just wanted to find out what was going on with you. I-I was being insensitive… "

Metal Sonic was speechless for a few seconds at Knuckles actually apologizing to him. He never thought he apologized at all, let alone would do it to him. After a brief silence, he said, " Thank you… " wanting to express his gratitude as a reward for him managing to apologize. It must have been very hard for him.

Metal Sonic looked at Sonic and said reluctantly, " Sonic, I think it's about time I apologized for how we were enemies in the past. I wish we could've become friends sooner. " Knuckles questioned, " Why not? " He explained sadly to Sonic, " It couldn't have happened until after the incident. Before that, I wasn't even remotely ready because I was suffering from a severe inferiority complex from the pressure of being based on you. I wanted to prove to you that I was more than just a knockoff, that I wasn't just a robot Sonic working for Eggman, but a person with my own merits, and I was going about it the wrong way. The only acceptable way I could try to accomplish that, at least acceptable to my idiot boss anyways, was to try to beat you in a fight, but even back then, deep down, I knew that it wouldn't accomplish what I wanted. I wouldn't prove my worth to you by doing that, I would only cause you to hate me even more. I wanted you to respect me, more than anything, because you were the one I was based on, so you would know better than anyone else if someone's a poor imitation of you or not. Your opinion of my worth matters more than anyone else's from that one fact alone. I needed to raise your opinion of me to validate my own existence. And because I couldn't do that, I ended up becoming a very insecure child, constantly having the obsessive worry that I was worthless and compulsively trying to improve myself, and in the state I was in back then, I doubt I would've been able to be an acceptable ally to you. It wasn't until I was slightly reprogrammed to have a severe restraining mechanism on that inferiority complex that I was able to think clearly again, about myself _and_ about you. But he never would've reprogrammed me that way if I hadn't given him a good reason to do it. "

" Why not? Couldn't you have just warned him about that earlier and gotten him to reprogram you earlier? " Knuckles asked, looking annoyed to try to hide the fact that he was just as concerned as everybody else. " It wasn't that simple. He was always incredibly reluctant to change anything in my programming because, due to the sheer complexity of my CPU from being almost an exact mechanical replica of Sonic's brain, reprogramming me would require him going through a massive amount of lines of code. It's a lot more complicated than it sounds, and that meant that he was highly unlikely to bother with trying to reprogram me unless I proved to him that it was necessary. Even if he found clear damage to the CPU and something going wrong, he wouldn't fix it unless he was certain I couldn't be useful to him otherwise. He didn't want to do any work he didn't have to and he only cared about himself, so the only way I could get him to fix the problem I was having was to prove that he had to. As infamous as the Metal Overlord Incident was, it _needed_ to _happen_ for me to think clearly again. I'm not exactly proud of what I've done, but things had to happen the way they did for him to finally fix me. It was only after that happened that I could've been a suitable comrade to you. And even after I was fixed, I still couldn't have had joining your side as a viable option until years later, after I had the opportunity to spend days working with you and Tails and ended up getting your offer in the first place! I don't think I would've ever been able to join your side before that all happened and I was given the chance to prove myself to you, in the right way. I wish we could've been friends a lot sooner, because I was miserable being your enemy. Fights with you were nothing but pain and suffering. And I couldn't stand working for Eggman. But until recently, I didn't have a choice. "

Knuckles said in annoyance, " Wait a minute, so are you saying sorry or not? Because all I'm hearing is, ' it's not my fault. ' Things had to happen in the exact way they did and you couldn't have been his friend until at least a few months ago, I get that, but you're not saying you're ashamed of the evil things you've done, you're only making excuses! "

Amy scolded him, " Knuckles, leave him alone. It's pretty obvious that he's ashamed, he doesn't have to say it. It's hard enough for him to apologize to him as it is without you saying he's not doing it right. " Annoyed with Knuckles, Metal Sonic said to Amy, " Thank you, " grateful that she was standing up for him, and looked at Sonic again to say unhappily,

" I look back on those days with shame. I don't even want to think about it. I was never happy with working for Eggman and carrying out his orders, I just did it because I had no other choice. As soon as you gave me a choice, I left… Well, not _as_ soon, because I could've joined you as soon as I had finished that rescue mission and gotten everyone home. I wasn't ready to do that yet. I wasn't ready to be separated from my family so soon after I had gotten them back! But I still should've joined you sooner. I was just making excuses to keep the status quo for the sake of familiarity and there's no real excuse for that. I have a lot of regret in me for what I've done in the past, and I would rather just focus on the present and not think about those days anymore. I know this apology is long overdue, and you have every right not to accept it, but I'm sorry we were enemies. You have every reason to hate my younger self, because I do, too, but he's no longer around. I've changed since then. I-I just figured that it was about time I made it more clear to you that I'm sorry because I had just apologized to Amy and I owe so much to you. I should've apologized to you first… "

It meant a lot to Sonic to hear him finally apologize to him, and without even being pressured to do it. He didn't even have to say that he was sorry. He already made his regret clear without it. But as proud as he was of him for apologizing to him at last, Sonic felt sympathy for him more than anything. He didn't want him to feel the way he was at the moment, as much as his shame called for it.

Sonic smiled and said, " Hey, don't worry about it. I forgive you. I've _already_ forgiven you. You didn't need to apologize, but I really appreciate the fact that you did. You really have changed. It wasn't your fault that things turned out the way they did. If anything, it was Eggman's fault, for ordering you to fight me in the first place. And for what it's worth, I never really hated you. I just liked testing out my skills with you, that's all. I was only taunting you to try to have more fun with you, it wasn't really malicious. But if I had known that the things I said would've caused you to feel worthless, I wouldn't have been so insensitive. I had no idea how much my opinion of you meant to you. "

Metal Sonic admitted, " I should've known all along that you didn't really hate me. When you spoke to me after that incident, telling me that you looked forward to another fight, you were so friendly to me, as if there were no hard feelings, and even back then, it meant a lot to me. It meant so much to me that it was one of the few things about that incident that I still remember. I can barely remember it for the most part. It's such a vague memory, and I can't really know for sure what I was thinking at the time. I can't really speak for my younger self and explain exactly what he was thinking and why he did what he did. All I really know is that I was irrational, and overwhelmed with stress, and I'm sorry. "

Sonic said with a smile, " I wish we could've been friends a lot sooner, too. Now that you're on my side, and being a hero, you don't have to worry about what you did in the past anymore. It's all water under the bridge! " Metal Sonic saw Amy and Cream nod in agreement with smiles on their faces, and smiled a little at seeing confirmation that he truly was being forgiven. Only Knuckles was resistant, looking at him in annoyance with his arms crossed. He didn't think he was accepting any responsibility for his actions, or even acknowledging them as evil deeds at all. It was never really about right and wrong and whether he was evil or not for the robot, and the fact that he spent most of his apology explaining his behavior away as the result of stress and distorted thinking, while never acknowledging the negative impact he had on the world, made him reluctant to forgive him so soon. Metal Sonic may have been reformed, but he wasn't tamed. He was still the same robot he was before the rescue mission, cynical and sarcastic and apathetic. He still wasn't passionate about right and wrong like Sonic was, like a hero was. If that wasn't the case, he would've left Eggman a long time ago. But even though Knuckles didn't think he was moral enough to be accepted as a hero and forgiven so easily, he still appreciated the fact that he apologized at all, even if he didn't take as much responsibility as he should've. So instead of calling him out on it in front of everyone in the room, he kept it to himself. He would confront him on it when they were alone.


	46. Chapter 46

Amy said, " Well, I think it's about time Cream and I get going. I promised her mom that I would take her home before 3:00. See you guys later! " She stood up from the couch and walked out the front door, and Cream said with a smile, " It was nice to see you again, Metal! " leaving the house with her. Tails said, " I've still got a lot of stuff to work on in my lab, " having finished his lunch. He was working on building nanobots just like the ones he saw in Metal Sonic's blueprints, with the intention of having them in storage in case he needed any replacements. After Tails left for his workshop, Sonic said cheerfully, " I'm gonna go for a run. See you! " and ran out of the house in a blue blur, leaving Knuckles and Metal Sonic alone. Everyone had left so suddenly that the two of them were briefly stunned by it.

Metal Sonic hadn't planned on staying at the house for very long. He was only going to fly there, say what he wanted to say, and return home to spend the rest of the day reading. The books he wanted to read were back at home, but there was a possibility that Sonic would get worried from coming home and not finding him where he left him. All he had to do was make a quick trip home and come back with the book that he wanted to finish. Metal Sonic walked up to the front door, only for Knuckles to say in annoyance, " Where are _you_ going? " and walk up to him.

The robot replied nonchalantly with a shrug, " There's nothing for me to do here, but since Sonic's expecting me to be here when he gets back, I figured I'd just take a quick trip home for my book and come back. I won't be long. " Knuckles crossed his arms and said, " You sure do like books, huh? "

" They're an entertaining distraction that allow me to accomplish obtaining new knowledge and give me something to do for most of the day, so yes, I appreciate books. I don't see why not, " Metal Sonic replied emotionlessly, not showing his frustration with Knuckles and provoking him even further. Knuckles said, " Yep, you sure like reading books. So when are you gonna start doing good deeds to actually make up for all your crimes? "

Finally turning to face him, Metal Sonic rolled his eyes and said in exasperation, " What do you expect me to do, show up in Station Square to be a hero just for everyone to look nervous and wary and avoid me? I know where I'm not wanted. Screw that, I'm staying as far away from any cities and towns as possible. Even if I did go there and did something like stop a mugger, you'd just accuse me of being too heavy-handed and vicious about being a hero! Why bother? You'll never be satisfied. I already saved the world, three times in fact! I prevented its destruction by Eggman Nega with Shadow the Hedgehog, I stopped SWORD's plans with Sonic and Tails, and I assisted Sonic in shutting down the fourth Death Egg, what more do you want? "

Knuckles said in annoyance, " You don't sound like you _want_ to do heroic things. All you wanna do is read books! That, and destroy mechs viciously, because you love causing destruction. " Metal Sonic explained to him, " That's not it. Fighting mechs is the only way I can take my anger and frustrations and channel them into doing something productive. Everyone needs a stress reliever every now and then. When I have to deal with anger, all I do is I simply don't express it, and save it for when it's useful instead of detrimental. It's the only logical way to deal with it. "

" So you bottle up all of your anger? That doesn't sound healthy… " Knuckles commented. Metal Sonic deadpanned defensively, " It's better than lashing out at all of your friends at every opportunity. " Knuckles replied angrily, " Hey, I have a reputation as a tough guy to protect! And my anger is entirely justified. If everyone treated you the way they treated me, you'd get angry, too! Don't change the subject! You say you've joined the heroes, but all you do with your time is the same things you've been doing in your free time already! Almost nothing has changed! Sure, your ' missions ' are accomplishing good now, but you're still showing no interest in being a hero! If you really cared about being a hero, you'd go the extra mile and do a lot more good than you're doing now! The only reason GUN could get you to help them at all was because it was an excuse for you to sabotage Eggman, and I know for a fact that you don't hate him because of how evil he is! You say you've joined the heroes, but you limit your heroic actions to helping Sonic and spiting Eggman, when there's so much more you're capable of, because you don't care enough to go the extra mile! You're such a hypocrite! "

Metal Sonic said nonchalantly, " I'm not a hypocrite. A hypocrite pretends to be more righteous than he truly is. I never once said that I was as heroic as Sonic is. I'm more concerned about my own problems and doing what I want to pass the time. That doesn't mean that I'm _opposed_ to actually being productive to the world by using my abilities to assist people, but I'm just not passionate about right and wrong like he is. That doesn't make me evil, it makes me neutral. Most of the people of the world are neutral. What separates me from them is the abilities I have and my high speed, defenses and offensive power that makes me capable of doing more things most people would call heroic because I can survive in situations that most people can't. Most people have the excuse of not being powerful enough to be heroes, but because I'm the world's most powerful robot, I can choose to be a hero or a villain, while most people can only choose the latter. I'm more inclined to be a hero, since it has more benefits and it's more productive, but at my core, I'm neutral. I'm apathetic to all this ' moral issues ' and ' what's right or wrong ' stuff. I can approve of something or disapprove of it, and think it's horrible, but I don't care enough to dwell on those kinds of issues and take any action when it doesn't involve me. I just don't have the motivation to care. There's no point worrying about issues that don't involve me, especially when I can do nothing about them. Yeah, I'm selfish, and I'm not that righteous, but at least I admit it. Most people wouldn't. I just don't care. Sure, I have values and standards just like anyone else on the face of the earth, and I often have opinions and take certain courses of action because of them, but Sonic's still a lot more like that than I am. I'd rather take the logical and pragmatic approach. I'd take reason over honor any day. "

Knuckles wasn't expecting him to be so honest and straightforward about the fact that he wasn't really heroic like Sonic was. He questioned, " So you'd do the smart thing even if it upset your friends? " being reminded of Shadow. Metal Sonic answered, " No. Well, it depends on which friends are upset and how important they are to me, and whether or not they're inconvenienced. I'm not going to betray my own allies just for my own benefit. And no, that's not choosing honor over reason, because being loyal is reasonable, too. It's only logical to be a loyal and trustworthy ally to your other teammates. It gets a lot more accomplished, they trust you because of it, they like you and become more likely to care about you and support you as comrades should. It's a part of the duty of being a comrade, but it's also the only intelligent way to go about it. A back-stabbing traitor would only be more detrimental to his side than beneficial, being more of an enemy than a friend, with no one respecting him and with him being the friend that nobody likes, the one that everyone's going to insult and ignore and be dismissive of his feelings because he hasn't earned their respect. It is the duty of a comrade to be loyal, considerate and reliable, and anyone who fails that duty suffers consequences, so it's not just being honorable that makes this so important to me. It's also the most logical way of doing things. In fact, there are plenty of duties that it's only logical to take seriously, you don't always have to choose between honor and reason. "

Knuckles couldn't help but be interested in what he was saying. He did have a good point; sometimes being honorable was also the smartest decision for the circumstance, and honor and reason weren't always in conflict with each other. He was always a lot more duty-bound than the carefree Sonic because of his duty to guard the Master Emerald, which Sonic had always dismissed while encouraging him to have fun and help him save the world instead. He was always treated like the unreasonable one, and he wondered if part of it was because people thought he put honor over reason from his duty. He wondered if he had actually met someone who finally understood that he wasn't being unreasonable in taking his duty seriously, that there _was_ reason in it.

Metal Sonic added, " Yes, I have a strong sense of duty, but I'm still pragmatic most of the time. " Knuckles asked, " What exactly do you mean by pragmatic? " feeling a little frustrated with his own cluelessness for not understanding what the word meant. He hoped he wouldn't be treated like an idiot because of it. He couldn't help not having as large of a vocabulary as him. " I'd make a decision based on what I think is best whether some people disagree with it or not. I'll admit that occasionally I do get passionate about doing what I think is right, and when that happens, I get just as stubborn about it as Sonic does. It's only natural, I suppose. I am based on him, after all. Sometimes the best decision is one that people will disagree with, and I guess part of doing the ' right thing ' would be figuring out when to disregard people not agreeing with your decision and do it anyways for the greater good. N-Not that I would know, " Metal Sonic explained calmly.

Once again, Knuckles was thrown for a loop. He wasn't used to people calmly and patiently explaining to him the meaning of a word he didn't understand in layman's terms, and without even implying that they thought he was an idiot. It was almost like Metal was used to dumbing things down for other people and explaining them in simpler terms. He had heard from Sonic that Metal Sonic's closest friends included Cubot and Metal Knuckles, the latter of which seemed like an airhead, so maybe he was just used to it. Still, the fact that he didn't seem to think less of him for not having as big a vocabulary as him meant a lot to someone who had been called an idiot and treated like one for the entire time he had been around other people. If it wasn't for his pride, he would've thanked him for being so considerate. He felt conflicted, wondering if this implied that he was wrong about Metal Sonic, from being given the hope that he might actually understand him a lot more than most people. He never expected that of him.

Metal Sonic could understand why Knuckles had the reaction that he did. It was a natural habit of his to politely explain in layman's terms what a word meant if someone asked him to without making them feel like an idiot for it. Not only did he have a lot of experience with doing that because of Cubot, but he still remembered when he was only recently built and had a much smaller vocabulary than he did now. Eggman had erased most of the information in his databanks as part of his changes to differentiate his mind from Sonic's, because he didn't want his robot to be confused about how he knew words that only Sonic could know and wanted to make lots of room in his databanks for more important knowledge. He still had the same speech mannerisms as Sonic, but there were a lot of words he didn't know. He ended up feeling like a clueless idiot for being so ignorant from being so recently brought into the world and started doing whatever he could to get smarter than Sonic to compensate for his younger age. In fact, the very first book he ever read was a dictionary, with him taking pictures of every page in it and memorizing the book from front to back. But even then, there were some words he couldn't understand, because the dictionary had no pictures to illustrate its words. That led to him still feeling ignorant to an extent because there was still so much he didn't know from lack of experience with the world outside Eggman's base, to the point where he didn't even know what a fox looked like unless Orbot reminded him that Tails was one. He knew what it was like to feel clueless. He only had such a large vocabulary because he made such an effort to improve it. He couldn't stand feeling like he was an idiot, and he knew that Knuckles had to deal with that every day. While he still thought of him as disloyal to Sonic, with his ' back-stabbing traitor ' remark being a stealth insult towards him, he couldn't bring himself to treat him like an idiot when he knew that it was more complicated than that, because he reminded him of a younger version of himself. He used to be ignorant, too, and in some ways, he still is.

After a brief silence, Metal Sonic wondered if it meant he would be able to go home and get his book without Knuckles stopping him, and said nonchalantly, " I'll be back soon, " flying out of the house at the speed of sound while Knuckles was struck speechless. Before he could react, he was gone. Knuckles sighed, and shook his head, wondering if that evil robot wasn't as bad as he thought.


	47. Chapter 47

The next morning, Tails had just started to leave for his workshop when he noticed two envelopes in his mailbox. " That's odd… " he commented, confused about why anyone would send regular mail to his house after the invention of e-mail. When he took the first envelope out of the mailbox, he gasped at finding out that it was delivered by GUN's own postal service, and brought the envelopes with him as he rushed back inside and called out, " Metal, GUN sent you some mail! "

Metal Sonic, who was finishing up his library book on the living room couch, closed his book and easily opened the envelopes with his claws, and found two things of interest in them. The first was a large amount of dollar bills with what looked like a white plastic band keeping them held together. It must have been his paycheck for the day. It made perfect sense that he'd be paid in cash and not a check, considering the possibility that he would start a panic just by walking into a bank and people would be wary of giving him an account. Even if that turned out not to be a problem, he still wouldn't go into a bank anyways. So as soon as he saw the dollar bills in the envelope, he smiled, not because of the amount of money he had received for carrying out a mission for GUN, but for how considerate GUN was being of him by paying him strictly in paper money, without him even having to specify it beforehand. He appreciated the fact that he was getting a salary by principle, so he didn't really care how much money he was getting, as long as he wasn't working for free. He was only going to spend the money on books anyways, and even then, he would get Metal Knuckles to spend it for him.

The second envelope contained a letter that replaced his smile with a look of dread. It revealed that in order to receive his citizenship papers, he had to go to the GUN Commander Headquarters in Central City to get them. He had to go into a city full of people who would be wary of him and suspicious of him at best, and start panicking at seeing him at worse. The expression of fear and anxiety on his face caused Sonic and Tails to immediately get worried. " What's wrong? " Sonic asked in concern, and was given the letter as a response.

After reading through the letter and giving it to Tails to read, Sonic said to reassure him, " It's not gonna be as bad as you think. I've been to Central City plenty of times after our last adventure together, and from what I've seen, you'd be welcome there anytime. Granted, a lot of the people I asked about it said they'd only be comfortable if you were there with someone else, but that's why GUN is sending Rouge here to take you there! "

Tails said, " I don't know, Sonic, do you really think people will be put at ease seeing him with a jewel thief? If anything, that would get them even more wary. Maybe you should go with them. Everyone trusts you, and it'll be a lot more reassuring for him having you around. Right, Metal? " The robot reluctantly nodded, embarrassed of looking weak.

Sonic put his hand on his shoulder, sat down beside him and said with a smile, " The people of the world know you're a hero now. And even the people out there that hate you, still aren't dumb enough to do anything against you. I know you feel like it's gonna be awkward being in a city full of people, but everything's gonna be fine. I promise. "

" It's not a matter of people doing things against me, it's a matter of everyone staring at me and judging me. N-Not that I care what they think, but it's just a lot of pressure having so many people staring at me and watching my every move. You wouldn't know what that's like… " Metal Sonic said unhappily.

Sonic sighed. He did know what it was like. When he first stepped foot in Station Square, he was the center of attention, from the speed that he ran at to the fact that he was blue. It took a while for them to get used to him. But while he did get a lot of people watching him, it wasn't from fear and wariness, it was from people being impressed and intrigued that he could run at the speed of sound, and when he started foiling Eggman's plans, his reputation as a hero caused anyone who thought he looked strange to stop minding. While he hadn't suffered from being not welcome in a town because of the way he looked, Tails had. He still remembered the severe amount of social anxiety the child had suffered from when he first met him, having been stared at, shunned, and even beaten for what made him special. It took weeks for him to convince Tails to go with him to Station Square for the first time, and he still remembered how frightened the child was at being stared at by everyone there as soon as he entered the city, to the point of shaking with his tails wrapped around him as a crowd of people surrounded him. The two of them had been incredibly relieved to find out that not only did the people of Station Square not mind the fact that he had two tails, but they actually thought it was cool, with some of them outright complimenting him for them. The more visits to the city Sonic made with Tails, the more relaxed he got about being in public, and eventually his traumatic memories of being an outcast in Cocoa Island and Westside Island became lost as he became older and forgot them.

But Metal Sonic wouldn't just be stared at for the way he looked. He would be a robot in a city full of civilians, one of Eggman's robots, and one of his most infamous robots, at that. He had never been welcome in any city, town or village that he had ever stepped foot in. At least Tails didn't have to overcome a bad reputation to get the people of the world to trust him. At least Tails never started a panic just from being in public. Both of them were treated like monsters, but Metal Sonic was actually feared to the point where everyone screamed and hid at seeing him, even when he was doing nothing wrong. And while Tails was able to forget his past because it happened when he was only three-years-old, Metal Sonic would never be able to forget how unwanted he had been. Sonic still believed that Tails had it worse, with Metal Sonic at least having a home where he was safe full of other robots who knew how he felt and liked him, but it didn't change the fact that Metal Sonic was reminding him of how Tails felt years ago, and he didn't want him to stay that way.

" Come on, Metal, you can't go your entire life without going out in public! You don't wanna be a recluse! You're free from Eggman now, and you have a better reputation now! You can experience what the world has to offer outside your own home! Don't let your freedom go to waste! The people of the world aren't so bad. Just give them a chance! They'll forgive you, and even the ones who haven't forgiven you yet won't be gutsy enough to do anything against you, especially not with me by your side! You don't have to spend all your time at home or at my home thinking it's the only place you can be safe, " Sonic told him, hoping he could change his mind.

" I'm not going out in public unless I absolutely have to. There's no point in putting myself through that unless I need to. Faced with that, I'd rather be a recluse. Besides, you're not a recluse if you still have friends that you interact with on a regular basis. I'm not alone, and I'm not going to get stir crazy because I'll still have reasons to leave the house; missions from GUN, assisting you, and so on. I'm just not social like you are. That's just who I am. I'd prefer a closely knit group of comrades that I know I can trust to a large social network of people who don't know me and can't be trusted. There is a possibility that I'll get used to being in public, eventually, but I'm not going out in public unless I have to. I-I don't mean to disrespect your authority, but there are still some things that I'm not going to relent on. I may have pledged my undying loyalty to you, but even I have my limits, " Metal Sonic explained, getting nervous by the end from potentially looking rebellious to Sonic.

Sonic recognized why he had gotten nervous and reassured him, " It's alright. I'm not expecting you to be _mindlessly_ _obedient_ to me. I'm not Eggman. We're both really different, so it makes sense that we'd disagree on what to do at times. You're not in trouble. I'm just saying that going out in public will be good for you! It's better for you to see for yourself that you're welcome in public now, that you aren't gonna be treated like a menace anymore, and I'll be right there with you the whole time. Anyone doesn't treat you right, I'll stand up for you. " Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile a little at hearing that.

Tails added, " Besides, the letter said that you're not gonna be in public for that long anyways. You'll just go on the train, get into a limo that GUN paid to take you to their headquarters, and walk a couple paces into their headquarters. You'll barely be seen at all! The train ride will be the hardest part, but it'll be over with soon. " Metal Sonic smiled. It might not be so bad after all. He still wouldn't get his hopes up, but as long as Sonic was with him, he might be able to relax.


	48. Chapter 48

Suddenly, everyone heard someone knock on the door, and Sonic opened it up to reveal Rouge behind it. " Hey, Rouge. Mind if I come along? " Sonic asked with a polite smile, hoping she wouldn't ask questions. Since she figured out the reason for him coming along immediately, she agreed, " Sure, why not? Alright, so, you all know from the letter what's going to be happening, so let's go! " With that, Sonic and Metal Sonic followed Rouge out of the house and into the train leading to Station Square, with Metal Sonic reluctantly flying behind her in a straight line holding his book as Sonic ran in a blue blur from his house down the hill and up the wooden stairs to the train. Sonic was in front of all of them as the train doors opened automatically and he walked in with Metal Sonic and then Rouge behind him.

From the moment he entered the train, Metal Sonic was feeling uncomfortable and unwanted, seeing a large amount of people stare at him in confusion from their seats the minute he started looking for one. There weren't actually that many people on the train, just a family of four and three businessmen, but to Metal Sonic, there were too many people watching him already. Trying to ignore them, he simply sat down beside Sonic and started reading his book as Sonic and Rouge took the seats right next to the train doors that were immediately silently offered to them. Metal Sonic was certain that the only reason his presence wasn't causing a panic was because Sonic and Rouge were with him. Sonic was the hero of the world, and Rouge was one of the people who helped saved the world during the Eclipse Cannon incident and the Metal Overlord Incident, so if people didn't know that she worked for GUN, they'd still see her being with him without fear as at least slightly reassuring. It was a short train ride to Station Square, but it felt like an eternity, with everyone waiting for it to end in an awkward silence from not having anything to talk about. While the people of the train didn't spend the whole time staring at the dangerous robot reading a book right beside Sonic, they still looked nervous and wary, with the three-year-old girl of the family of four being the only one who smiled at seeing him. Sonic, Rouge and Metal Sonic couldn't talk about anything without being eavesdropped on, so even if Sonic and Rouge could find something to talk about, they were still in a public place, so they ultimately sat in silence, quickly wishing that they brought a book along like he had.

Sonic and Rouge couldn't have been more relieved when the train finally stopped in Station Square's train station. Upon hearing the announcement over the intercom, Metal Sonic reluctantly closed his book, and followed behind Sonic with Rouge behind him as they left their seats and went into the train station, with Metal Sonic hoping he would be less noticeable hidden between the two of them. Unfortunately, the train station was full of people, as well, with various people on their way to work noticing Metal Sonic as he walked out of the train and towards the train station exit with the two world famous heroes. Half of the people simply walked into the train without fear, showing only confusion and curiosity at Rouge being there with them, while the other half waited for them to leave before entering the train, still wary of Metal Sonic. Sonic and Rouge noticed that not everyone was afraid of Metal Sonic and smiled, while Metal Sonic only noticed the fact that everyone was staring at him as he followed behind Sonic trying to leave the train station as soon as possible.

After leaving the train station, the three of them were out in the big city, with a black limousine parked right in front of them ready to take them to their destination. Since Metal Sonic was on the top of a staircase on higher elevation from the rest of the city and a highly noticeable robot, he received stares the moment he left the train station, but not nearly as many, with the people of the city being scattered around with not all of them facing him, and they were far away enough that Sonic and Rouge couldn't figure out their expressions. The limo driver left the limo and respectfully held the door open for all three of them, managing to keep a stoic and emotionless expression despite letting a powerful and infamous robot into his vehicle, and everyone who was watching saw the three of them go into the limo and started wondering what was going on. While some people were oblivious to what Rouge's job was, others had heard rumors that she had a government job, mainly stemming from the fact that she was well-known for being friends with Omega, who everyone knew worked for GUN. So seeing Metal Sonic get into the limousine that Rouge had reserved for her caused the people watching to wonder what exactly was going on. Some of them figured out that he was indeed going to the GUN Headquarters, and the rumors that he was working for GUN started immediately.

The ride in the limousine to the GUN Headquarters was long and boring, with Sonic and Rouge having nothing to do but make small talk with each other as they waited for the ride to end. Metal Sonic found the ride to be the easiest part of the experience to deal with because no one was staring at him, and comfortably read his book as the limo took the three of them from Station Square to Central City to the outskirts of Central City, eventually bringing them to the base of a mountain overlooking the sea where the entrance to the underground headquarters was located. Metal Sonic had been told that the building was in Central City, but that was mainly because it was common practice for its location to be oversimplified as being there to keep its true location confidential. Since the GUN HQ was located in a part of the country that was technically considered still a part of Central City, the letter wasn't actually lying. It just made it ambiguous.

The limo driver opened and held open the door for them, and the three of them left the vehicle, staring at the mountainous terrain in front of them. Rouge said, " The entrance to GUN HQ is in a cave in the mountain just up ahead. Follow me! " and flew up to the cave with Metal Sonic following in a straight line behind her. Sonic was the only one who took a while to reach the cave, having to take a longer route as he ran around the various rocky walls up the hill leading him to the cave. When the three of them finally reached the cave, Rouge simply walked up to an ordinary-looking rocky wall, took off her glove and placed her hand on it, causing the hidden fingerprint scanner to recognize her and make the wall flip around to reveal an elevator leading underground, revealing that the other side of the wall was made of metal. Metal Sonic was reminded of how Eggman's main base was entered, but said nothing as he walked into the elevator with the three of them. Rouge pressed buttons in the elevator to bring them as close to their destination as possible, and the wall behind them flipped around to hide the elevator once again as the elevator started going down.

Eventually, the elevator doors opened up, with Rouge being the first person the guard saw. He saluted her and said, " You may pass, " having already been told that she was bringing Metal Sonic to the GUN Commander. Rouge said, " Mind if the hero of the world comes along? " and wasn't surprised at all at Sonic being allowed to stay with them. After all, saving the world as many times as he did gave him special privileges. Rouge walked out of the elevator with Sonic and Metal Sonic and explained, " It's the third door on the left, " and the two of them followed her to the door of the GUN Commander's office. She knocked on it and said, " Rouge here! " and after a few seconds, the door opened.

" Good job, Rouge! " the GUN Commander said with an approving smile, understanding how difficult it must have been for Metal Sonic to get himself to go out in public. Upon seeing Sonic, he briefly looked confused before smiling and saying, " And I see you helped bring him here, too. Thank you! " Sonic said cheerfully, " Any time! " giving him a thumbs up, and Metal Sonic hoped that having Sonic with him would decrease the likelihood of the GUN Commander double-crossing him and not giving him what he was promised. " Come into my office. You two should wait out here to give us some privacy, " the GUN Commander said, and Metal Sonic cautiously followed him into his office, still not entirely trusting him.

* * *

Author's Notes: The games have never been that clear on just how many people know that Rouge is working for GUN. I mean, in her recaps in Sonic Adventure 2, Rouge says that she's better known as the treasure hunter Rouge, so maybe it's kept classified that she's working for the President, but now that Omega's joined GUN and she's hanging around a famous employee of GUN on a regular basis, you'd think the secret would come out. A lot of people would start talking once they saw Rouge hanging around with one of GUN's employees as often as she does. How often does Rouge hang out with Omega, anyways? Is it a daily thing like with Sonic and Tails, or do they only see each other at work, like during missions and meetings? So much is kept ambiguous in the Sonic universe.


	49. Chapter 49

Metal Sonic walked into the office of the GUN Commander with a serious expression and sat down on the chair across the desk from the GUN Commander as he sat on his large black spinner chair to talk to him. On the desk was a computer and several papers. The GUN Commander immediately gave him some of them, with what looked like a yellow certificate with his name on it facing him, and said, " First things first. A deal is a deal. As the leader of the Guardian Unit of Nations, I proclaim you a citizen of the United Federations, who is recognized as a person by the law, with all the same rights and duties as Sonic the Hedgehog. This means that you don't have to get a paying job and you have the tax exemption that Sonic has, provided that you remain a hero and continue fighting against Doctor Eggman. I've already made the necessary changes in the government's database, so these papers are mainly just to commemorate it. If anyone says you're not a citizen and don't have rights, you have proof otherwise. "

Metal Sonic was thankful to the point of being stunned into silence for a few seconds at genuinely receiving his citizenship and being legally recognized as a person. He had always wanted it to happen, but it was beyond his wildest dreams, because he never could've imagined that he'd be so lucky. He was certain he'd get double-crossed or there would be a catch. After all the time he had spent working for Eggman and carrying out missions against GUN, and without the excuse of not having free will, he was lucky that they were making deals with him at all. They could've just had him destroyed or claimed as their property. Because of the sheer relief at none of his concerns coming true, all he could say in response was, " Thank you… " sounding honored to receive such a gift.

The GUN Commander smiled. He had wanted to get Metal Sonic on his side for almost as long as the robot's first mission against GUN. It was there that he had discovered from the lack of casualties that Metal Sonic had a conscience, that he had values and standards despite being one of Eggman's robots, and that alone caused him to look forward to the day when he could get him to work for him against the scientist he resented so much. He knew how little Metal Sonic trusted GUN, and he could tell that he was gradually starting to change his mind about it. Just going on one mission for them alone was a big step for him, and requesting to receive a paycheck for his efforts like Omega sealed the deal. He wouldn't outright want to be called an employee of GUN right away. He'd have to be coaxed into it, gradually warming up to the idea the more missions he went on and the longer time he spent with them not doing anything to betray him. That wasn't to say the GUN Commander didn't care about him as a person; he at the very least cared about him a lot more than Eggman did, knowing him better from the intelligence reports his spies had given him. But both Metal Sonic and him had something to gain from making deals with each other.

Realizing he was showing weakness undignified of such a powerful robot, Metal Sonic returned to acting aloof as usual, crossing his arms after placing his papers on the desk right in front of him, and said, " I didn't entirely trust you to follow through with your deal. In fact, I still don't trust you or GUN as a whole very much. But that doesn't mean I'm opposed to assisting them. I'm not quite ready to actually refer to myself as an agent for GUN yet, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be, but as long as this doesn't conflict with my loyalty to Sonic's team, you can count on me. If you ever need the assistance of Eggman's most powerful robot to sabotage him, give me a call. I'll take any chance I can get to rebel against him! No matter what robots he sends against me, I'll gain victory over them all. "

The GUN Commander chuckled in a friendly way and said, " You sound like Omega. That's why Rouge recommended that I get you one of these. " He pulled out of the drawer on the other side of his desk a small gray machine with a screen and buttons on it, and handed it to him before explaining, " This device can locate any of Eggman's robots from anywhere in the world, with the highest priority on the robots closest to your location. If you ever want to blow off steam and need something to destroy, you can use this whenever you want. No one should be keeping all their anger bottled up. Everyone needs a stress reliever every now and then. The batteries in it are rechargeable, and with this special recharger, they'll recharge in just seconds! " He gave him a black recharger with the wires wrapped around itself, and smiled even more at Metal Sonic saying, " Well, um, thank you! " so surprised and caught off guard by being given exactly what he wanted without even having to ask. He looked at all of the objects the GUN Commander had given him, and was even more thankful for the fact that he had at least two people accompanying him.

" Glad to have your help, Metal Sonic. The next time we need your assistance, Rouge will let you know! She's going to be your mission partner for a while, just to make things easier, " the GUN Commander said. " And to have someone working with GUN to supervise me? " Metal Sonic deadpanned, having figured out their true reason for making him have a partner days ago. Knowing that he had been caught, the GUN Commander admitted, " That, too. But after your first couple missions, you'll be permitted to go on missions without her. That isn't to say we don't trust you. After all, our spies have been telling us for years that you're not the evil killing machine that most people always thought you were. But still, you can never be too careful. " Metal Sonic smiled a little at hearing someone say the exact same phrase that he had said so many times before.

" Our meeting has finished up. You are dismissed, " the GUN Commander said with a smile. He opened the door to his office, allowing Sonic and Rouge to come in and hold for Metal Sonic the mech locater and recharger after briefly explaining what they were, coming up with a lie to Sonic about how GUN wanted Metal Sonic to destroy as many of Eggman's robots as he could. Metal Sonic smiled at him being considerate enough to predict that he would feel self-conscious about Sonic knowing he needed a stress reliever like that and potentially accusing him of craving destruction. As the meeting finally ended, he walked out of the office holding his citizenship papers, with Sonic holding his mech locater and Rouge holding its recharger, and the three of them proceeded out of GUN HQ and into the limo that was waiting for them outside.


	50. Chapter 50

After Sonic, Metal Sonic and Rouge went into the limo reserved for them by GUN, they were taken back to the train station of Station Square, and took the train there to the Mystic Ruins, not realizing that the civilians who saw what they were holding took it as even more proof that Metal Sonic had joined GUN. They brought the mech recharger to Sonic and Tails' house for safekeeping because there was an electrical outlet there to plug it into, and after Rouge was told that it was about time she returned home, Sonic and Metal Sonic brought the mech locater and citizenship papers to Metal Sonic's house. Sonic smiled in approval at him and said, " Congratulations on getting your citizenship, Metal. " With that, he ran back home, not noticing just how much that meant to him.

It was 10:00 by that point, and Metal Sonic used the mech locater as soon as he possibly could, impatient to get back to his original schedule of having a total of 30 minutes of fighting every day. He couldn't do it at the same time as before, since Metal Knuckles' visit was scheduled from 11:00-12:00, but as long as he could find enough of Eggman's robots to destroy to properly relieve his stress, he was satisfied. He picked up the mech locater, left his home, and pressed the red button in the top right corner to turn it on, saying, " Alright, let's see… " The screen showed him an accurate map of where he was that zoomed out to reveal a large amount of robots that seemed to be headed for the Mystic Ruins. " I'll be defending my leader's territory, and getting a chance for a cathartic battle at the same time! I'm in! " Metal Sonic commented. By visualizing the Save to Memory icon in the bottom left corner of his field of vision, he took a picture of the screen with his mind so that he wouldn't need to bring the mech locater with him and endanger it. Having done that, Metal Sonic turned off the mech locater, hid it in the closet of his home, and immediately started flying to where the army of robots was spotted, knowing exactly what path to follow.

He soon found exactly what he was looking for, an army of Eggman's robots. Hundreds of Egg Pawns were in front of him, and they looked startled, confused and afraid at seeing Metal Sonic, the robot they used to admire more than any other for his power and intellect, about to reduce all of them to scrap metal, with only the hope that their rubble would be found and rebuilt to reassure them. Before they could even start attacking, Metal Sonic flew at them at the speed of sound, furiously flying through them with his jet engine chest propelling him as he spindashed through the robots in his way, slicing through them with the sharp spines on the back of his head as he flew at them in a ball spinning at Mach 1. He was an unstoppable blue blur, smashing through every one of Eggman's robots while all they could do was watch, being not nearly fast enough to shoot their lasers or attack him with their lances without missing their target or being destroyed. The instant that one of the Egg Pawns was lucky enough to hit him with its lance, he activated his boost in less than half the time of the blink of an eye, and became an intimidating orange blur blazing through all of the robots around him at four times the speed of sound with his red eyes glowing menacingly.

He knew he was fighting far more viciously than necessary, especially as the army grew smaller and smaller and he could focus on smaller scattered groups of robots, but since he knew that it was better to channel his anger into doing something productive, he didn't care one bit about the Egg Pawns he was destroying. The robots of Eggman's base only respected him for what he could do for Eggman, only caring about his skills. They never cared about him as a person. He heard that they liked him when he was just built and was just as friendly and social as Sonic, but after he stopped being social, they merely tolerated his personality, and only liked him for who he used to be. He had no reason to care about robots who were not only blindly loyal to someone like Eggman, but had never really cared about him in the first place. Like Eggman, they only valued him for his skills that he contributed to the Eggman Empire, and didn't care about him like his comrades did, with his comrades being the only exception to the rule.

As Metal Sonic kept destroying Egg Pawn after Egg Pawn, the army got smaller and smaller, with plenty of robots futilely retreating in the hopes that he would be too focused on fighting other robots to notice, and it didn't take long for him to destroy every robot in the army, saving Sonic and Tails the trouble of fighting them off. Standing in a field surrounded by the rubble and scrap metal of the robots he had defeated, Metal Sonic sighed in satisfaction, feeling like a weight was lifted off his shoulders as he noticed that the amount of stress in him was significantly decreased. With a smile on his face, he looked at his wrist and visualized the Check Time icon appearing and being clicked to see a digital clock where his wrist was, and said, " 29 minutes' worth of fighting. I just need one more minute. " He started flying back home in a straight line at the speed of sound. After only two minutes, he met up with some robots that he never expected to see.


	51. Chapter 51

" Metal! " Orbot and Cubot exclaimed happily, and hugged Metal Sonic the instant he saw them. He returned the hug immediately with a smile, happy to see his comrades again and relieved that they still liked him after he left Eggman's side. " Good to see you again! I heard you're doing great! " Cubot said after the hug ended two seconds later. Neither of them needed to explain to the other how their life was going, for the most part at least, because Metal Knuckles told them everything they needed to know. " So how's your day been? " Orbot asked him.

" Oh, nothing special, really, I just got my citizenship from the GUN Commander, that's all, " Metal said casually with a shrug and a smile, fully aware of just how much of an achievement that was. Orbot and Cubot congratulated him immediately upon hearing that. Cubot said eagerly, " Congratulations! " and Orbot said, " A robot getting recognized as a person is no easy feat! "

" Tell me about it. In order for me to get it in the first place, I had to go all the way to the GUN headquarters with Sonic and Rouge escorting me, which meant going out in public and being stared at by everyone on the train and in Station Square because I stick out like a sore thumb. Everywhere I go, I'm the center of attention. Just once, I'd like to be able to just walk around a town or city like a regular citizen without any kind of public reaction being caused; maybe visit the library, check out some books, buy some from the book store with my own money. But no. All because I'm a robot. Of course, Sonic's been saying that people will eventually get used to thinking of me as one of the heroes and trust me enough to not watch me every time I'm in public, but still. This was a long day, " Metal Sonic explained wearily, with Orbot and Cubot listening in sympathy. They couldn't go into a place full of humans or Mobians without drawing attention, either, but they didn't cause a panic because they clearly weren't combat robots.

" And your day's not even over yet! " Cubot pointed out to Orbot's minor annoyance. Metal Sonic smiled again and continued, " Not only did the GUN Commander give me my citizenship papers, but he gave me a device that will allow me to locate Eggman's robots from anywhere! " Cubot exclaimed happily, " That's great! " knowing just how important it was for Metal Sonic that he had a way to release his anger and relieve stress, and Orbot simply nodded in agreement with him, his emotions being subdued in comparison.

" So how's your day been? " Metal Sonic asked, in a rare good mood. Orbot explained, " We were sent out to buy Eggman's groceries. The various food products that he likes have all been illegally brought to one place where it's safe for us to go and all we have to do is go to that black market dealer and buy Eggman the food from our list! It's one of our less grueling tasks, and it gives us a break from Eggman, so I can't complain, " and pulled a grocery list and dollar bills from the black bag that Metal Sonic just noticed he had nearby. He put them back in, and Cubot said, " It was nice to see you again, and so soon, too! You're a lot happier than the last time we saw you! "

Immediately looking nervous, Metal Sonic asked, " Really? " Orbot could tell that he was worried that his increasingly frequent smiles and growing optimism was tempting fate as Cubot went on to say happily, " Yeah! You're smiling more now than you have in years! " Trying to reassure him, Orbot reminded him, " But your luck is a lot better now that you're on Sonic's side, so you don't have to worry about tempting fate. " Cubot added, " Just relax! There's nothing wrong with smiling every now and then, and everyone likes it when you're in a good mood. At this rate, you might be getting one step closer to being back to your old self again! Just as carefree, optimistic and risk-taking as before! " Orbot reminded him, " I don't think we should go that far. He's changed a lot since he was first built. I can imagine him getting more optimistic, but he'll never be as naïve and hyperactive as he was back then. He's grown bitter from his life experience and he just doesn't have the energy anymore. "

" Exactly… " Metal Sonic replied, worried about the prospect of himself actually changing from being on Sonic's side. He was used to the way he was, and was proud of how he usually made the safe and intelligent decision instead of being prone to taking risks for fun. He couldn't help but worry that he would become less safe if he lost that caution. That wasn't even getting into the fact that his caution was a major part of what separated his personality from Sonic's, and he appreciated having a separate identity from him that contrasted his. The more like Sonic he became, the less of his own person he was. A part of him knew that him relaxing and lightening up because of Sonic was a good thing, but he still couldn't help but be uneasy about the idea after years of being shown that lightening up only led to misfortune.

" Well, we'd better get going. We're on a deadline, after all, " Orbot said reluctantly, still smiling at seeing his old friend again. " Fine. See you later, Metal! " Cubot said, and the two of them left at last, following the route to the black market grocery dealer that accepted money from Eggman. Metal Sonic didn't object to it at all. He was just grateful to see his family again, even if only briefly. With a satisfied smile, he flew home at the speed of sound in a blue blur.


	52. Chapter 52

After meeting up with Orbot and Cubot, Metal Sonic returned home to finally finish his library book. When Metal Knuckles showed up there thirty minutes later, he brought the book back to the library to return it before it could become overdue. Meanwhile, Metal Sonic went to Sonic and Tails' house to start reading his other book. He would've preferred to stay at home to read where it was quiet, but he felt that he wouldn't be a good teammate to his side if he stayed at home all day instead of being around them.

When he reached Sonic's house and opened the door, he saw Amy and Cream sitting on the living room couch watching TV. As soon as they saw him come in, they happily congratulated him on getting his citizenship from the GUN Commander. Amy said eagerly, " Congratulations! You're finally a citizen, now! " and Cream said with a smile, " And they finally recognize you as a person! You've even got the papers to prove it! " Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile, especially at being acknowledged as a person and not just a machine without Cream even having to be around him for very long.

He was soon distracted when he noticed a light blue creature with a head shaped like a large fat teardrop and with a yellow circle floating just above it, wearing a red bowtie on the couch. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen. He asked in confusion, " Who is _he?_ " not wanting to dehumanize the creature like most people did to him. Cream giggled and petted the creature on the head before saying, " He's Cheese the chao, my pet! I guess I never properly introduced you to him. " Metal Sonic said quietly in confusion, " Chao? " Amy, not knowing whether to be amused at the robot being ignorant of what chao were or feel sorry for him for not remembering, said cheerfully, " Oh, it's lunch time! Cream, how's about we go to the kitchen and make ourselves some lunch? We can warm up some leftover spaghetti in the microwave! " Cream said, " Oh, goodie! See you in a bit, Metal! " and followed Amy into the kitchen, leaving her pet alone with Metal Sonic.

The robot looked at the chao in confusion. He wondered if he had ever seen one before. He might have seen one and then forgotten about it. Had he ever even interacted with a pet of any kind? Metal Sonic was always wary around animals. He knew that an animal couldn't even hope to damage his hard metal exterior – and the animals understood that just as well – but he still wasn't comfortable being around a creature that he couldn't predict the behavior of. He felt ashamed of being so uncomfortable around animals, when even Cream the Rabbit felt safe around them, unpredictable behavior and all. He wondered if he had missed out on something. Wanting to know how it felt, he gently petted the chao, at least once, and smiled a little at how soft he was. The chao was nervous around him at first, but after being shown such kindness by what he thought was an evil robot, he actually smiled, with the yellow circle floating just above his head magically expanding and morphing into a heart shape for a few seconds. Metal Sonic appreciated knowing what that was like. But it didn't change the fact that he didn't want anyone to think he was weak. Besides, he might get in trouble with Amy and Cream if they found out he did that without permission. So he decided that once was enough for one lifetime, and sat down on the armchair, and started reading the encyclopedia that Metal Knuckles had gotten as a gift from the librarian, with Amy and Cream's only clue about what happened being that the chao had started smiling at him.


	53. Chapter 53

Thirty minutes later, when Cream and Amy had finished up the last of their lunch, Knuckles opened the door and walked into the house, much to Metal Sonic's disappointment. He had assumed that he wasn't going to show up because he hadn't done so at his usual time. " Hey, guys, I'm here. I wouldn't normally be so late, but my house needed cleaning, and I figured that the end of Spring Break was a good time to do it, " Knuckles said. Metal Sonic deadpanned, " I was hoping you wouldn't come, " reading a book from the armchair. Knuckles replied in annoyance, " Well, I'm here, so deal with it, " and sat down on the couch behind Amy and Cream, reluctantly watching TV to pass the time.

His stomach grumbled, and Amy giggled and teased playfully, " Were you cleaning so much that you forgot to have lunch? " Knuckles rolled his eyes and said, " I'll be right back, " getting up from the couch. Before he could go into the kitchen, Amy said cheerfully, " Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you! Metal Sonic got his citizenship today! Isn't that great?! " Knuckles stopped in his tracks and said, " What?! " Amy added, being too caught up in how happy she was for him to care about Knuckles' reaction, " Sonic and Rouge brought him to the GUN Commander and he got legally recognized as a person for as long as he kept being a hero! He also gave him this mech locater and told him that GUN wanted him to destroy a bunch of Eggman's robots every day. It was hard for him to go out in public where everyone would be staring at him, but he ended up spending most of the time in the limo GUN reserved, and Sonic was right there with him, so- "

" Metal Sonic, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute? " Knuckles said suspiciously. Amy and Cream looked surprised, and looked at Metal Sonic, who rolled his eyes and deadpanned, " No. " Not wanting to put up with that, Knuckles said, " What'd you say? " Metal Sonic sighed and reluctantly responded, " Fine. As long as it's just a minute, " not wanting to get Knuckles too angry with him in front of Amy and Cream. He walked into the kitchen with him while Cream sighed in relief at a fight being avoided and continued to watch TV.

After Metal Sonic walked into the kitchen, Knuckles questioned, " Were you only helping Sonic to get your citizenship papers? " Metal Sonic deadpanned with his arms crossed, " No. And if you want to rip them apart to try to nullify them, don't bother. I've already been recognized as a person by the system. My papers are just to commemorate that. Knuckles, are we done here? I've had enough false accusations this week to last a lifetime. "

Knuckles complained while getting out grapes from the fridge and putting them on a plate, " I am so sick of your persecution complex. You know, maybe you should stop feeling sorry for _yourself_ and start feeling sorry for the actual _victims_ of your crimes! They're the victims, not you! " Metal Sonic replied calmly, " The only victims I can think about that I haven't apologized to yet are members of GUN, and they're a vast organization with billions of dollars, my missions against them couldn't have possibly been that damaging to them in the long run. There was no harm done! Besides, the GUN Commander's forgiven me, and he represents GUN. I don't need to apologize. My joining Sonic's side and saving the world is more than enough. Just because I don't apologize very often doesn't invalidate all the times I've saved people or rebelled against Eggman. So I'm not comfortable with apologizing and dwelling on how I've inconvenienced people, that doesn't mean I'm not a real hero. I don't really think of myself as a hero, but I know I'm not a villain, either. And it's about time you realize that. "

Knuckles said, " I'm just being careful! Nobody else I know is suspicious of the most dangerous robot in the world joining Sonic's side! _Someone's_ gotta watch you! If you were in my position, you'd do the exact same thing! " Metal Sonic looked unhappy at hearing that. He wouldn't admit it, but Knuckles was right. He would've been even more skeptical and suspicious than him. While he was annoyed by being treated the way he was, he would've acted the same way. Knuckles continued, " I know you keep on saying over and over again that you're not who I thought you were and you have no logical reason to do anything that causes you to lose Sonic's support and revealing that you have a soft side, but that doesn't mean you're not going to betray us! How am I supposed to know what you're really planning? I'm not you! All I can really do is be careful and keep an eye on you just in case. No one else is being careful enough to do that, so it's up to me! Whether it's necessary or not, I don't really care. I'm protecting my friends, and if you ever try to be sneaky and carry out your own evil plan, I'll be the first to find out. "

Metal Sonic rolled his eyes and said, " Well, keep wasting your time, " looked at his wrist to check the time and found it out in half the time of the blink of an eye, said, " It's been over a minute, so I'm out of here, " and walked out of the kitchen. Annoyed, Knuckles simply carried his plate of grapes with him as he followed him back into the living room.

When they walked into the living room, they could only stand there in confusion as Amy said to Cream, " And then Justin Beaver said that he totally wasn't interested in Sabrina Gomez, even though he was just staring at her for such a long time at the celebrity academy awards, and… " going on and on about celebrity gossip that nether of them understood. Knuckles looked over at Metal Sonic, and realized immediately that he was just as lost as he was, having a confused expression with one of his black computer screen eyes slanted in annoyance. Knuckles was reminded once again that he had more in common with Metal Sonic than he thought, and for once, he wasn't unnerved by it, because it made him feel less alone. " I've never really cared about pop culture. I never had a TV back on my island until I met Sonic and he gave me one as a gift. I'm only watching it here out of pure boredom. So I don't care about any of these celebrity guys. How about you? " Knuckles said quietly to him, trying to sound as casual as he could while being quiet to avoid getting Amy and Cream's attention.

Metal Sonic said, " I have no idea who any of these people are. The only TV I watched back in home base was the daily weather report, and that was all I was allowed to watch as the idiot's robot slave. I never cared about this, ' pop culture, ' when I had better things to do, books to read, training to do, friends to hang out with. So you could talk about Britney Sears having a son called Michael Faxson and getting married by Bob Barrker and I'd just nod along and pretend I understood. " Knuckles chuckled a little. For the first time, he genuinely smiled at Metal Sonic, at least for that brief moment, because he had someone to relate to. No longer would he be the only person he knew who was completely and even willingly ignorant of pop culture and the general media.

Metal Sonic added under his breath, " And the media isn't exactly trigger-free, either… " being quiet enough that, just as he planned, Knuckles couldn't hear him. His fear of electricity was strong enough that just seeing or hearing it on television was enough to make him very uncomfortable, and electricity was so common in the media that he was better off not watching it.

After a brief smile, Knuckles returned to looking as negative and serious as ever and sat down on the couch while Metal Sonic returned to his armchair, reading his book and single-mindedly focusing entirely on the words in it after turning off his auditory sensors. If anyone wanted his attention badly enough, they'd get it without talking to them. Knuckles reluctantly watched the celebrity gossip show while eating his favorite food as Amy went on and on about celebrity gossip that Cream didn't care about, all the while waiting for Sonic and Tails to come back from their grocery shopping.


	54. Chapter 54

Metal Sonic was surprised and confused at the door being opened and Sonic running into the house and into Tails' room carrying an unconscious Tails in his arms. Since Amy, Cream and Knuckles were watching television at the time, he was the only one in the room who had seen Tails' state. Deciding to follow him, he flew down the hallway and into Tail's bedroom to find out what was going on. He helped Sonic by pulling the blankets of the bed over so that Tails could be laid down in it and then covering him over with them. " What happened? " Metal Sonic asked in concern. Sonic said unhappily, " He came down with a fever while we were ordering materials for his lab, " and quickly ran into the nearby washroom in a blue blur and came back not even a second later with a cold compress to gently place on Tails' forehead. Worried and confused, Metal Sonic commented, " A fever? " and said quietly, " That almost never happens… "

" Almost? " Sonic asked him in shock, having heard what he had said. " N-Nothing, " Metal Sonic stammered, realizing what he might have just revealed. " How did you know he had a fever before? Did you… Were _you_ the one who helped him last time? " Sonic asked him. There was a silence, with Metal not even attempting to lie about it because it was clear that Sonic had already figured it out. He didn't want to look like a softie by admitting to anyone that he had done such a kind and compassionate thing without any benefits to himself, and he didn't want to look like he was bragging by telling anyone about his act of heroism, especially not if there was a possibility he would be called a liar. When he found Tails in Leaf Forest and brought him home to his bed, he felt a mixture of embarrassment and happiness, being torn between feeling satisfied and proud of himself for accomplishing something good, and embarrassed at being weak-minded enough to not be able to resist the temptation. He could be a hero, but he was a humble hero, one who preferred to stay quiet about what he did, even if not staying quiet would benefit him.

Sonic smiled in approval and said, " Why don't you _tell_ _me_ about these good deeds you did? I know you're embarrassed, but there's no harm in it. Because if anything, it would only make me even more proud of you! " Metal Sonic found himself smiling at being shown such approval by him. He still didn't feel like telling him about any of the times he had done a good deed in the world outside Eggman's base, but the fact that Sonic was expressing approval of him for it made his day. It validated his existence.

It didn't take long for Knuckles, Amy and Cream to come into Tails' room to find out why Sonic was in there so long and discover the state Tails was in. All of them felt sorry for him, even Knuckles, who tried as hard as he could to not look too worried. Sonic quickly reassured everyone, " Don't worry, guys, he'll be fine. Just wait until tomorrow, and he'll be back to his old self again! " With that, everyone reluctantly went back into the living room to leave the child to rest, hoping that he would be okay.


	55. Chapter 55

Metal Sonic returned to the living room armchair, and attempted to continue reading his book, trying to distract himself from thinking about what had just happened. But as he tried and failed to focus on the words on the page, he kept finding himself unable to stop dwelling on it. Sonic did whatever he could to make Tails recover from his fever and ensure that he was comfortable. Even though they weren't actually related, it didn't change the fact that Sonic and Tails saw each other as brothers. Sonic was the one who raised Tails. He cared for Tails like he would his own younger brother, or like his own child. Even though they preferred to call each other best friends, it didn't change the fact that Sonic was Tails' legal guardian. He was the one responsible for taking care of him when he was sick and showing him compassion and generosity when he needed it. Not only was he his big brother, but he was the closest person he had to a father, even if the age difference between them was too small for him to qualify. Even Tails, who was an orphan for as long as he could remember, was still closer to having a good father than Metal Sonic was. He had a parental figure who would take care of him when he needed it. When Tails came down with an illness, Sonic was right there at his side doing whatever he could to help him.

And that was when Metal Sonic remembered; Eggman took care of him in exactly the same way. While he didn't have the kind of responsiveness to his feelings and wants that a good parent would have, it didn't change the fact that whenever his greatest creation needed his assistance to continue being able to work for him, he would drop everything and do whatever he could to help him. Having stopped focusing on the book entirely by that point, Metal Sonic realized that while his antivirus software was the most advanced and sophisticated in the world, even he had come down with at least two viruses in his life. And the first one he had suffered from, caused him to come down with a fever far worse than what Tails had caught, and Eggman, who he had left and resented and estranged himself from, had taken the situation seriously and done everything he could to remove the virus before it was too late.

Metal Sonic sighed sadly, unintentionally getting everyone's attention in the process. Amy and Cream looked concerned, while Knuckles was simply confused. Cream asked, " What's wrong, Metal? Are you worried about Tails? " Amy reassured him, " He'll be okay! He always is! Sonic's out buying some chicken noodle soup for him, and after he finishes it, he'll be better before we know it! "

Not being comfortable with all the attention, Metal Sonic said, " I know, I just… " closed his book in resignation, and continued politely, " I need to be alone. I've had an exhausting day. I would like to return home and attempt to catch up on my sleep, if you don't mind. " Knuckles replied, " I mind! " looking annoyed with him. " I wasn't talking to you, " Metal Sonic deadpanned, standing up from the couch already getting ready to leave. Amy briefly gave Knuckles a disapproving look before saying sympathetically, " You can leave if you want, Metal. We'll call you when he gets better, " as Metal Sonic walked towards the front door. He opened it, left the house, closed the door behind him, and instantly accelerated to the speed of sound flying home in a blue blur, flying over the mountain across from the hill and through the forest until he reached his home at last. He placed his book on his bookshelf where it belonged, having already saved to memory what page he was on, and laid down in his bed on his back, being unable not to become lost in memories.

Roughly five and a half years ago, it had only been a month since Metal Sonic had slammed into an electrified wall on the Death Egg Mk II, and while he gradually became less jumpy and easily reminded of the experience over time, nothing stopped his nightmares. It eventually got to the point where he was having a hard time sleeping at night, waking up far too early and being unable to get back to sleep. As a result, he was struggling to stay awake as he stood leaning against the wall behind him with his left foot resting on it and his arms crossed, looking exasperated with Eggman as his master went on and on about his latest plan in front of his base's supercomputer.

Eggman explained in his usual hammy way, " That annoying fox boy has already helped Sonic foil two of my plans! I was _so_ frustrated the last time I had to deal with him! And that's when it came to me; I'll capture him! I'll attach a crane on my Eggmobile that will grab him and allow me to imprison him in my base! And not the base I'm building to fight Sonic in, but _home_ base, where Sonic will never be able to find him! I'll keep him in a locked room for a couple days and have my robots work on a brainwashing microchip, and if Sonic reaches my newest Silver Sonic without the amount of Chaos Emeralds needed to reach me, I'll have enough time to- What?! "

His speech was interrupted when he saw a ten-foot-tall GUN mech with laser-shooting cannons and buzzsaws that had infiltrated his base start flying towards him with vicious intent. He screamed, but before his greatest fears could be realized, Metal Sonic flew in front of Eggman in a blue blur and slammed into the mech curled up in a ball, smacking it across the room with a single blow. As much as he resented Eggman for his self-absorbed narcissism, he couldn't stand the idea of him getting injured or suffering a gruesome death with him doing nothing to prevent it from happening. He stood in front of Eggman protectively with an angry expression, his claws out and his red eyes glowing menacingly, and the GUN mech quickly registered him as a target.

Metal Sonic flew at the GUN mech in ball form and slammed into it, and started flying around the room dodging the various green lasers it fired at him as Eggman yelped and hid in a corner, cowering in fear. Metal Sonic flew in a circle around the flying mech and created a tornado of wind around it, throwing it upwards into the air and causing it to crash onto the floor below him. Eggman watched as his greatest creation engaged in a fight with the mech that had been seconds away from killing him, expending a massive amount of energy as he fought with full strength and sustaining only some damage to his forehead and the lower back of his head in the process.

After a full minute of protecting his creator as best as he could, Metal Sonic smacked the dangerous mech into the wall across from him, charged up the plasma cannon in his jet engine while it was stunned, and finished it off by blasting it with a powerful bright red laser that completely destroyed it, leaving nothing but oil stains on the floor as remains. Eggman shouted out happily, " You did it! You saved me! Oh, you make me so proud! " Orbot and Cubot rushed into the room at last, having heard all the commotion from the other side of the hall. " What'd I miss?! " Cubot asked in excitement, while Orbot only looked over at the robot hedgehog in the middle of the room in concern.

It was at that moment that Metal Sonic realized just how much of his energy he had used up. Panting in exhaustion, his legs felt weak and he fell to his knees, sitting down and slumping over as a haze of red dots obscured his vision. Eggman wasn't all that concerned, assuming that he was only tired because he had just used his most energy-draining attack. He said with a proud smile, " You saved my life, and I didn't even have to order you to do it! Good job, Metal Sonic! "

With all of his strength sapping from him and feeling dizzy for the second time in his life, Metal Sonic panted for a few more seconds before he collapsed from exhaustion. Seeing his most valued creation lying on the floor barely conscious, Eggman gasped and rushed to his side to examine him. The lower back of his head where his cerebellum existed was dented and cracked, with only the fast-acting oil hardener additive preventing the oil from leaking out of the crack and escaping his head.

" Turn him over! Get the stretcher! " Eggman demanded of Orbot and Cubot, getting panicked and hiding it with an outburst of anger. Cubot turned Metal Sonic over on his back and onto the stretcher that Orbot soon found and placed beside him. The robot hedgehog had cracks and dents on the left side of his forehead that immediately caught everyone's attention. He felt like the blood was rushing to his head, or rather, his oil, and had to force himself to move. His eyes were an incredibly dim reddish-brown, and he retracted his claws and placed one of his hands on his head in pain as he groaned miserably, barely able to see.

Cubot commented nervously, " He's cold like ice! Not that I'd know. " Eggman exclaimed, " What are you talking about?! Let me see! " He took off his right glove and placed his hand sideways on the right side of Metal Sonic's forehead, and he gasped and pulled away, saying in shock, " His forehead's overheating! " He placed his hand on the upper-left part of Metal Sonic's chest to check his pulse. Not only was his heart pumping much slower than usual, but his metal casing was unusually cold. The robot's breathing was terribly labored and irregular, and he said quietly in a tired daze, " I don't feel so well… Help me… "

" Send him to the repair ward! I'm taking a look at his programming to check for a virus! " Eggman ordered Orbot and Cubot, coming to the conclusion that he had expended so much energy protecting him that his antivirus software had started failing him at a critical time. Cubot lifted up the stretcher by one end to allow Orbot to pull down the folded metal legs of the stretcher and bring the wheels to their proper position. Looking concerned about one of their closest friends, they strapped him into the stretcher by placing the three Velcro straps on the top on him, and as they pushed the stretcher out of the room, Eggman said angrily, " Giving my robot a virus! GUN won't get away with this! " feeling a protective panic coming over him.

After roughly a minute, Metal Sonic was brought into the nearest repair ward being wheeled in on a stretcher, and Eggman unstrapped him from it, used his surprising amount of strength to lift him into his arms briefly and lie him down on the workbench, plugged something into the hole just above his jet engine that was connected to his computer, sat down on the spinner chair and quickly accessed his programming with a determined expression. Orbot and Cubot looked concerned, while Metal Sonic only laid on the hard metal workbench overwhelmed with exhaustion, wishing he was lying on something more soft.

" Internal temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, unusually slow breathing and heart rate, energy shortage and decreasing brain activity… I knew it! That mech gave him a virus! " Eggman exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the desk. Annoyed and worried at the same time, Eggman sighed with his hand on his head, and said in determination, " I'll bring you back to working order no matter what it takes! "

With that, Eggman dedicated himself to fixing him and returning him to normal. The first thing he decided to focus on was fixing the damage to his head he had sustained in his recent fight. After sending nanobots in a tube full of oil into the cracks to fix his CPU damage, he removed the cracked metal on the outermost layer of his head and fixed him with replacement metal, nanoglue paste and welding, with Cubot handing him what he needed to use. When he had finished fixing his external damage, Orbot finally returned to the repair ward holding two pillows, a cold compress, and two blankets in front of him, barely able to see what was in front of him as he moved along the floor and brought them into the room. Upon seeing what he was holding, Eggman questioned, " There you are. What are you doing? " Orbot said, " He's cold, so I thought he might appreciate some blankets, and he doesn't like lying on anything made of metal, so I got him some pillows, " hoping he wouldn't get into trouble.

" I'll let you give him the blankets, but I'm not lifting him up again just to put pillows under a machine! I almost threw my back out the last time, " Eggman replied, to everyone's disappointment. Metal Sonic wasn't surprised by his lack of compassion, and in the state he was in, he was just thankful he was getting any blankets at all. Orbot covered him over with the warm soft blankets and carefully placed the cold compress on his forehead, and sighed unhappily, saying, " Here, " looking concerned. Eggman was completely focused on the computer screen in front of him, typing down instructions in his programming to instruct the nanobots to return the damaged cerebellum to its original condition.

As Metal laid on the metal workbench, so tired that he couldn't bring himself to move, with his eyes switching from off to just barely on multiple times with metal walls and a metal ceiling being all that he could see, he groaned miserably. The more time passed, the more focused he became on the situation he was in, and a certain memory soon came back to haunt him. With his back against metal, a metal wall being across from him, his head overheating, and him barely being able to move, he became increasingly uneasy and anxious, his breathing going from weak and shallow to panting in fear and his eyes becoming tiny red dots. Even though the rational part of his mind knew fully well what situation he was in, he couldn't change the fact that everything about his situation was dragging him back to his most terrifying experience. Before he knew it, he was back in the Death Egg Mk II, lying on his back paralyzed on the metal floor with a red metal wall with loud crackling electricity coming out of it. He vividly remembered the stinging and aching pain he felt all over his cracked and dented body, with oil bleeding out of him and electricity sparking out of it in short startling bursts, and he remembered it so vividly that he could barely tell that it was just a memory. " No, no, no… Not again… " Metal said quietly, feeling helpless and gripped in fear, getting everyone's attention in an instant.

" What's wrong? " Cubot asked unhappily, with the young robot hedgehog being so lost in his memory and weakened by his fever that he barely registered the words he was saying. " It hurts… I _can't believe_ how much it _hurt…_ " Metal said with a cracking voice, and groaned before continuing, " It's so loud, the buzzing, make it stop! " Orbot looked at the young robot in concern, knowing exactly what was happening, and Eggman questioned, " What buzzing? What are you _talking_ about? "

With his perception switching multiple times between reality and his traumatic memory, Metal vividly remembered exactly how he had felt back then, and said fearfully, " I'm all alone, all alone! Why am I being left alone? Sonic, come back! It hurts so much! I-I can't move! Why can't I move?! "

" Calm down! " Eggman exclaimed in a panicked voice, and quickly walked up to him, looking angry to try to hide how worried he was. " You're not alone! You're not paralyzed! That was the past! " he told him, and the young robot said with his voice wavering, " Dad, where are you? The electricity's everywhere! I can't escape it, it's everywhere, it's everywhere! No, no, not again… " Figuring out what was happening, Eggman pulled over the blankets and reluctantly lifted him up into his arms so that Orbot could place the pillows beneath his head and the rest of his body, and laid him down on the top of the pillows, hoping he could bring him back to his senses by removing one of his triggers. He was surprised at being called Dad when he had already corrected him on that, but he was so focused on calming him down that he let it slide. " Huh? " Metal whispered, clearly feeling that there was no longer metal against his back. " Calm down, calm down. Everything's fine… " Eggman said comfortingly, much to everyone's shock and confusion. Even he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Every man had a paternal instinct in him, even the most selfish and egotistical one, and something about that young robot having a traumatic flashback with a fever and calling out for his father like a traumatized child, pulled at his heartstrings and urged him to comfort him.

The sheer impact of his selfish and arrogant master speaking to him in a comforting and compassionate tone was enough to snap him out of it and start bringing him back to reality. He still felt frightened and helpless, suffering from intrusive flashbacks every couple seconds, but he was able to register what was going on around him and stay focused on his current situation for longer intervals of time. Shaking in fear, he said quietly, " I can't move… " Determined to convince him otherwise, Eggman found himself grabbing onto his hand, and sure enough, he proved him wrong, as Metal instinctively held the hand of his creator and revealed to himself that he could move. Finding out for certain that his memory was all in the past, he finally returned to reality and remembered the situation he was in, feeling embarrassed of his behavior at last. " Da-Doctor! Doctor, uh, Robotnik. Thank you… " he said, and smiled sweetly at Eggman as he let go of his hand without regrets, relieved that he had calmed down.

As Orbot covered Metal over with the blankets again, Eggman said to him, " From now on, whenever I put you on a workbench, it'll have pillows on it. I'm _not_ having a repeat of that incident. Besides, you deserve them for saving my life. " He smiled at him gratefully with the last sentence, which everyone else found heartwarming. " Now you just have some rest. I'll have that virus taken care of. I'm controlling some nanobots and the instant one of them locates it, I'll have it destroyed, " Eggman reassured him. With that, Metal smiled and turned off his optical sensors, falling into a deep sleep.

Everything after that, he only knew because he was told about it later. The longer he spent with the virus, the weaker he became, slipping into a coma and having a gradual systems failure until he started shutting down. Eggman panicked at the prospect because if his robot shut down, his antivirus software would shut down with him, and there would be nothing stopping the virus from going straight to his CPU and deteriorating it beyond repair. As a result, Eggman had to resort to drastic measures to avoid losing his most powerful robot forever. He had to use a special type of heart-lung machine to keep his heart moving oil through his body and turning fuel into energy, and keep his lungs expanding and contracting as usual, because if he didn't, the robot would've eventually shut down from an automatic reboot as a response to both of them weakening to the point of failing. The robot ended up with multiple different machines plugged into him, being essentially on life support, with one machine tracking his CPU activity periodically beeping at a worryingly slow rate. The entire time, Eggman sat at his computer remotely controlling the nanobots with his keyboard and trying to locate and destroy the harmful machine wrecking havoc in his robot. Returning Metal Sonic to normal when he had that virus was the most nerve-wracking and tense experience of his life. He still remembered how panicked he felt when Metal Sonic flatlined for three seconds, only returning to normal because he had successfully destroyed the virus and fixed the damage it caused right afterwards. He would always remember going from panicked and only not giving up from denial to relieved and grateful at hearing the flatlining return to the periodic beeps from before, reassuring him that he had saved his life just in time.

The memory ended, and Metal Sonic sighed, lying in bed in the home that Tails had built for him, the home that he gave him after he betrayed the closest person he had to a father. While he looked back on the kind way he had been treated by Eggman in the past, he felt not remorse, not guilt, but sadness, a sense of emptiness and longing for what he could never have. Tails had a parental figure who cared about his well-being enough to regularly ask him how he was feeling and help him when he didn't need to, and who gave him the freedom to have his own opinions and do what he wanted instead of being an authoritarian control freak, and who acknowledged that he was a person instead of calling him his property and dismissing his feelings as fake and worthless, all for something he couldn't even help. Metal Sonic didn't regret leaving Eggman. As he looked back on the way his megalomaniacal creator treated him, he longed for the kind of healthy and loving father-and-son relationship that most people had, and wished that it could be some other way. He wished that he had a good father, one who didn't want to take over the world, but if Eggman wasn't the way he was, he would've never created him in the first place. As much as he disapproved of Eggman's personality, actions and goals, he owed his life to them. And as much as he resented Eggman and insisted that he thought there was nothing good about him and he did nothing kind for him, he couldn't ignore the fact that Eggman had repaired him and maintained him for the vast majority of his life. He took care of him when he was sick, just like Sonic did for Tails. He was his caretaker, and he would always appreciate that.


	56. Chapter 56

At 5:00 in the evening, Metal Sonic returned to Sonic and Tails' house after spending hours at home reading a book. He wasn't going to be doing anything different over there, but since he was on Sonic's side, he felt like it was better for him to be with them by sheer principle. He had already worried them by saying that he needed to be alone for a while, and he needed to return there to make it clear to them that he was fine. After flying through a forest and a grassy field and over a mountain in the Mystic Ruins, he reached Sonic's house and walked inside nonchalantly.

Amy was sitting on the couch watching TV, while Knuckles and Cream were nowhere to be found. Upon noticing him, Amy smiled and said, " Hey, Metal, you're back! What do you think of my new dress? " It was only then that Metal Sonic noticed that she was wearing a different dress than the one she wore earlier in the day. It was red with purple laces, with a pink butterfly design on it. Amy continued, " Me and Cream went dress shopping while you were gone, and after I got her home so that she could have dinner, I decided to come back here to impress Sonic with my new outfit! But he's been so busy today that he hasn't seen it. So, what do you think? " She giggled, and Metal Sonic looked at her dress, showing barely any emotional reaction, and answered honestly, " Looks nice. I'm not sure why you care so much, though. I can certainly understand wanting to impress Sonic with your skills, but looks are meaningless. "

Amy gave him an amused look briefly, having never gotten that kind of answer before, and explained to him happily, " I know, but if it gets Sonic's attention, that's all that matters! He's the nicest, handsomest, coolest guy in the world! Who would make a better boyfriend?! I can't wait until he finally says he loves me! " before giggling.

Metal Sonic shrugged apathetically and deadpanned, " If it makes you happy… " and sat down on the armchair and opened his book. Amy said unhappily with her hands on her hips, " You don't sound that enthusiastic. " He replied emotionlessly, " Well, I've never been familiar with a relationship or seen an example of one that worked out, so I really couldn't care less about relationships. I don't why people bother with them, they're all doomed to fail, anyways. Just look at the divorce rates. From what I've read, they're extremely high! I wouldn't even bother at that point. Although the concept of a relationship that actually _works_ and _doesn't_ fail sounds nice enough for me to not mind the idea of it, I'd never be interested in that sort of thing. " Metal Sonic shrugged again, and added, " Besides, no one would ever date a robot like me. I'm gonna die alone, and I couldn't care less, " sounding unintentionally sad and melancholic at the first sentence.

Amy felt sorry for him. She understood that he didn't want any pity, so she didn't express it, but her heart ached with sympathy at hearing what he said. She wondered if the main reason he had no faith in true love and romantic relationships working out was that he never personally knew any couple that proved it to him. The closest person he had to a father was Dr. Eggman, and he never had a wife, so Metal Sonic essentially was raised in a single-parent household, and with no women around to speak of. It made perfect sense to Amy that love was a foreign concept to him, at least in the sense she was referring to, because of the environment he was raised in and his lack of exposure to the media. So while she was slightly annoyed by his lack of support for her wanting a relationship with Sonic, she at least understood why he wasn't enthusiastic. He never said she'd make a bad girlfriend or disagreed with the notion that Sonic would be a good boyfriend, so there wasn't much of a reason for her to get mad at him. Even if there was, it was Metal Sonic she was talking to, so common sense kept her careful just in case. So instead of getting mad at him, she said cheerfully,

" But you're based on Sonic, right? Your mind began its existence as an identical copy of his! It was only afterwards that Eggman made changes that made you an individual! And like you said, there's a lot he left in. You're not that different from Sonic in a lot of ways. So does that mean that if Sonic thinks a girl is pretty, you'd instinctively think she was pretty, too? " Metal Sonic replied, " I suppose so. I don't feel attraction, since it would only hinder a robot, so it's harder for me to tell if I think a girl looks nice, but I suppose instinctively I would have a solid answer that would be the same that Sonic would give, " just as apathetic and emotionless as before. Amy was _really_ talking about something that he didn't care about. But since she was his friend and was nice to him most of the time, he was able to continue the conversation politely instead of ending it like he wanted to. He was used to letting conversations go on when he didn't want them to, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

" So do you think I'm pretty?! " Amy asked eagerly. Expecting that question, Metal Sonic glanced at her from behind his book and said emotionlessly, " I don't see why not. " Filled with excitement, Amy said happily, " Yes! That means Sonic thinks I'm pretty! " Metal Sonic rolled his eyes and finally started reading his book as Amy ran out of the house to tell Cream the good news. He muttered, " At least she means well… "


	57. Chapter 57

The next morning, Vector the Crocodile was sitting at his desk listening to music on his headphones when the phone rang. He was so surprised at hearing it that he fumbled with the phone in a panic before answering it, just barely avoiding dropping it to the floor, and lowered his headphones after pressing the Talk button to answer the call. " Hello, Team Chaotix! What do you need? " he said casually with a grin.

A male voice on the other line said to him, " I'm a reporter for the Station Square local news. We've heard eyewitness reports that Metal Sonic has become an agent of GUN, and we're counting on you to find out if they're true. You're all detectives, right? You can handle it. Just remember to bring a tape recorder. When you get our evidence, call us back. " The man told Vector his phone number so that he could call him back, and then said, " We'll pay you $500 for your detective services. "

The instant Vector heard about the amount of money he'd be paid, he exclaimed happily, " Oh, boy! I'll get on that right away! Hey, Espio! " Espio, who was walking down the hallway past his office at the moment, looked at him and went into his office at his name being called. " We've got a client who wants us to find out if Metal Sonic's working for GUN or not! We'll get $500 if we bring him a tape recorder with the evidence! I'm counting on you, Espio! " Vector said with excitement.

Surprised and apprehensive about being told to get information from Metal Sonic, Espio replied, " Why just me? Where am I even supposed to find him? " Vector answered, " Haven't you seen the news? He's on Sonic's side now! So he's probably gonna be hanging around his house! " Espio replied, " I know, but this is the most dangerous robot in the world you're talking about! Doesn't it seem a little unwise to-" Vector interrupted, " Come on, Espio, you're just making excuses! You don't want us to miss out on a paycheck like _this,_ do you? " Knowing that he would never relent, Espio sighed in exasperation and said, " Fine, " and left the office to start his next mission.


	58. Chapter 58

Just after 7:00 in the morning, Metal Sonic was on his way to Sonic and Tails' house, flying through a forest at the speed of sound, when he met up with someone he didn't want to see. After flying out of the forest and into a hilly meadow with a mountain across from him, he stopped in his tracks at seeing Eggman in his Eggmobile. " You! " Metal Sonic said in annoyance. Eggman wasn't expecting to find Metal Sonic there, but now that he had him in front of him, he had the perfect opportunity to try to manipulate him.

" Oh, hello, Metal Sonic, long time no see! What has it been, nine days since you abandoned me and your friends? Not that it really matters. The four of us have been doing just fine without you! In fact, since your absence cost me a right-hand-man, I've promoted Orbot to be my new second-in-command! He's the highest-ranking robot, now! And while he's rising in the ranks, you've become my empire's public enemy number one! I bet that makes you jealous, " Eggman said smugly, in a very obvious attempt at manipulating him.

Metal Sonic shrugged with his arms crossed and said nonchalantly, " I never really considered myself to be your right-hand man. Mainly because it's Orbot who does the most work in your plans and has to put up with you the most. There's also the minor fact that I can't be your right-hand ' man ' because I'm still a teenager, but that's just arguing semantics. "

Eggman was clearly annoyed at his failure to manipulate him, but that didn't mean that he was going to stop trying. He said to him nicely, " You know, Metal, I've been thinking. Maybe I was wrong to threaten to reprogram you. I know that I wouldn't want anyone messing with my mind. You don't want me to change who you are, and I can relate to that. I won't try to do it again. I'm sorry. "

" Go to hell, " Metal Sonic deadpanned, with an undercurrent of bitterness to his otherwise emotionless tone. It was clear that he understood exactly what Eggman was doing, and would never accept an apology from him. He knew that Eggman was only saying that to lure him back home, and that the instant he got him back, he would change his programming in any way he could to keep his loyalty.

Eggman was stunned for about three seconds at Metal Sonic's response to his apology, but he didn't let that discourage him. He continued with a smile, " You know, it's never too late to come back home. You're _always_ welcome in my home base! I can always reprogram the robots who turned against you to forget that you left me. Don't think that you've burned that bridge and can't come back even if you want to. There's nothing I'd want more than to have you back on my side! I'll give you anything you want! I won't even punish you for your little rebellion! It'll be just like last time! "

" The answer is no, " Metal Sonic deadpanned, surprising and annoying Eggman. " What?! " Eggman exclaimed furiously. Getting increasingly more annoyed with his former master, Metal Sonic said to him bitterly, " Were you even paying attention when I told you why I left? I don't _trust you_ anymore! You've betrayed me multiple times and dismiss my own feelings as fake and meaningless and don't care about anyone but yourself! You keep going on these _stupid, pointless_ ' take over the world ' plans that are nothing but detrimental, and the longer I've been living with you, the more obvious it's become to me that you'll never change. You're _hopeless!_ I've made a commitment to Sonic's side, and nothing is going to make me leave him after that! He gave me a place to live where I'd be safe and surrounded by people who care about me, and I would've never existed if it weren't for him! I owe my life to him! Even though you're the one who created me, you've done nothing but prove that you don't deserve my loyalty, whether you were responsible for my existence or not! But Sonic has done everything to earn my respect. I've made a commitment, and I'm not breaking it! That's final! And- Why am I talking to you?! I can't stand even being _seen_ with you! Why can't you just leave me alone and let me live my life?! If you never spoke to me again, it would still be too soon! "

Eggman complained, " Arrgh! Why do you have to be so stubborn?! " not realizing the hypocrisy of himself saying that. " Even if hell froze over and I _did_ decide to leave Sonic, I _still_ wouldn't come back to you! GUN has been wanting me to work for them ever since they first met me, and as little as I trust them, I'd still take them over you! " Metal Sonic said angrily.

" What?! You've joined GUN?! Didn't I tell you that organization was evil?! How could you?! " Eggman exclaimed in panic. " Technically, I haven't joined them. But whenever they give me an opportunity to sabotage you, I take it! At the end of the day, my loyalty to Sonic is stronger than my loyalty to anyone else, including GUN and _especially_ you! So no matter what you say to me, you're wasting your time, because I'm not going to betray him! " Metal Sonic replied.

" Arrgh! You know, you're not really leaving me for freedom if you just found some other people to work for! You're not free, you're just replacing me with a new master! Sonic's not your friend, he's your new leader! " Eggman told him in frustration, hoping it would discourage him. Metal Sonic crossed his arms and said,

" Why can't he be both? Sonic's the most understanding and compassionate Mobian I've ever met. He may be the one in charge, but at least _he_ actually cares about me! Unlike you! Sonic's a better leader than you'll ever be! I'd rather have him be in charge of the group than be in charge _myself!_ Granted, that's mostly because being in charge is too stressful because there's people depending on me and so many things that could go wrong, but my point is, I'd prefer to be his subordinate! He makes me happier than I have ever been! "

Eggman scoffed and said, " Oh, please, when I first built you, you were the happiest robot in my base! You were so full of excitement and wonder, you flew around everywhere enjoying yourself and getting to know all of my robots, you were carefree and optimistic! It wasn't until you met Sonic that you lost that youthful cheer. It's his fault you're the way you are. If you hadn't lost to him, you'd probably be just as happy now as you were back then. "

" I only lost to him because YOU forced me to fight him! It was you who ordered me to fight him every time, it was you who made me carry out your orders, it was you who built that _electrified wall_ that robbed me of my optimism in the first place! I turned out as miserable as I did because of you! And since I joined Sonic, I've started smiling more with him than I have in years! He might be getting me my optimism back! The universe is giving me nothing but signs that I'm better off with _him!_ " Metal Sonic called him out in frustration.

Getting desperate and trying to hide it by expressing more annoyance, Eggman pointed out, " Well, I would like to remind you that while most of Sonic's allies have treated you well, Knuckles hasn't! From what I've heard, he's treating you like you're pure evil! And you're just calmly putting up with it! Don't you wanna stand up for yourself and give him the smack he deserves? " Metal Sonic replied,

" Out of the question. I'm not betraying my teammate. " Eggman stammered angrily and said, " But I thought you hated him! " Metal Sonic said resentfully, " Yeah, I do. But it doesn't matter. Even though he's a jerk, he's still my ally now. He's on my side, and I'm _not_ hurting anyone who's on my side, even if they deserve it. That's final. "

Eggman growled, and complained, " Why couldn't you have shown that amount of blind loyalty to me?! Oh, fine. It doesn't matter. I'm going to keep sending my armies of robots after you, and get you back on my side no matter what! Because I will _never_ give up! " With that, he flew away in his Eggmobile, while Metal Sonic shook his head at him with his arms crossed, and then start flying over the mountain he was facing at the speed of sound. At no point was he ever aware that Knuckles had overheard the entire conversation.

" Blind loyalty? " Knuckles said in a confused whisper, shocked at everything he had heard. He had deliberately followed behind Metal Sonic on his way to Sonic and Tails' house that day to try to catch him doing something suspicious, only to find out that he was far more loyal than he was to him. He had taken in so much information that he didn't know what to think. Metal Sonic used to be more like Sonic? Did an electrified wall cause him to have such a different personality, changing who he was from damage to his CPU? Even though Metal Sonic saw Eggman as his father, he responded to his apology and kindness with cold bitterness and refused to go back to him, refused to trust him, refused to see any good in him at all, because he took one look at him and knew he was just going to manipulate him. Seeing how bitter he had been towards the closest person he had to a father, to the point of refusing any attempts to reconcile with him, was almost heartbreaking, and would've been so if it weren't for the fact that it was Eggman he was estranging himself from. But out of everything he had learned from that conversation, Metal Sonic's refusal to hurt him despite his hatred of him stunned him more than anything else. As he made his way to Sonic and Tails' house, he started to wonder if Metal Sonic was the most loyal person he had ever known.

Author's Notes: Oh, goddamn it! I meant to post this chapter as Chapter 58!


	59. Chapter 59

After Metal Sonic's confrontation with Eggman, he flew into Sonic and Tails' house at the speed of sound. The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful, with Metal Sonic reading a book on the armchair of the living room as Sonic took care of Tails. When 10:00 rolled around, the robot hedgehog left the house in order to find another group of Eggman's robots to destroy for the next half hour. Soon enough, he found them.

By the time Espio had found Metal Sonic, the robot was just finishing up destroying what was once a massive army of mechs headed for Station Square. He was an unstoppable force, tearing apart the mechs viciously and reducing them all to scrap metal and oil. Espio couldn't help but be a little intimidated as well as impressed at seeing for himself just how powerful the robot really was. By the end of it, Metal Sonic was standing in a grassy field surrounded by the rubble of the mechs he had destroyed, and sighed in satisfaction and relief, his intimidating glare giving way to a small relaxed smile. Espio had only taken so long to reach Metal Sonic because he had to buy a new tape recorder after Charmy accidentally broke his, and at the moment, he didn't mind that things had turned out that way, because if they hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to see what he just did. Not only was Metal Sonic a powerful robot even without upgrading himself, but he had one of the most likable smiles he had ever seen. It wasn't cocky or confident at all, and was restrained to the point of being a small half-smile. Seeing just how easily he could destroy him intimidated him, but seeing his smile helped reassure him and give him back the courage to carry out his mission.

" Excuse me, but I need to ask you a question. " Metal Sonic was surprised at hearing a deep but polite-sounding voice address him. He turned to face the source of the voice and saw a purple Mobian with a horn between his eyes wearing a dark blue jacket with pockets suddenly appear on a tree branch above and in front of him, as if he had camouflaged himself with the environment to become invisible before speaking to him. The Mobian, who seemed to be a teenager based on his height, came off as surprisingly dignified, gracefully jumping down from the tree and landing on his feet in front of him as if he had done it a thousand times before. He was reserved and professional in his speech mannerisms, keeping his emotions subdued. Metal Sonic was confused about how he had the ability to turn invisible at will, but what confused him the most of all was the fact that he looked and sounded familiar, as if he had met him before. He wondered why the Mobian was brave enough to even speak to him.

After looking surprised for a brief moment from his sudden appearance, Metal Sonic regained his composure and tried to play it cool to compensate for his reaction to him. He leaned back on a tree behind him with his arms crossed and one foot against the tree, looking aloof and stoic as he replied, " Go ahead. " The Mobian walked up to him, putting one hand in his pocket and then taking it out, and said, " There have been rumors going around that you're an agent of GUN, or are planning to become one. Is that true? "

Metal Sonic was quiet for a second before shrugging and explaining nonchalantly, " Well, yes and no. I have carried out a mission for them and received pay for it, so I suppose I could be considered an agent of GUN, but I only accept missions that provide me with an opportunity to sabotage my creator. I work for them occasionally, but I'm not dedicated to it. I made a commitment to Sonic's side and that's the side I prioritize the highest. So I _suppose_ I work for GUN, I'm not working _against_ them anymore, but I'm not all that serious about it, and I still don't really like them all that much. "

Having gotten his answer, the purple Mobian put his hand back in his pocket briefly before taking it out and saying, " That is all I needed to know. " Before he could turn himself invisible again, Metal Sonic said frantically, " Wait! " He looked at him in confusion, and Metal Sonic questioned, " Why are you brave enough to even speak to me? Most people outside of Sonic's team are too afraid to even approach me. The last time I had to visit Station Square, the civilians watched me like a hawk, and didn't seem to trust me at all. Why are you any different? " There was a small hope in him that the people of the world might actually have started to change their opinion of him, and that the Mobian approaching him without fear was confirming that, but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

The Mobian couldn't help but smile a little, in a proud and dignified manner, and answered, " It is the way of the ninja to act without fear. " Metal Sonic said in confusion, " You're a ninja? " and thought to himself, " _He looks nothing like one…_ " doubting his claim. The Mobian looked surprised at his response, and said, " Yes, I am. Don't you remember? I told you that years ago, when you were disguised as your former master. " Metal Sonic looked confused and upset, thinking, " _How many other people know me from that?_ "

Noticing his reaction, he said, " Did Dr. Eggman erase your memories of that incident? That would certainly explain why you don't remember me. My name is Espio the Chameleon. I work for Team Chaotix, a detective agency. Congratulations on leaving the doctor. It is better for you to _avoid_ associating with evil. " He put his hand out to shake his and make their truce official.

Metal Sonic continued to look confused for two seconds, before regaining his composure and shaking his hand. He said, " Thank you, Espio. I would introduce myself, but it's now clear to me that it would be unnecessary, " sounding depressed and almost remorseful by the end. Espio told him, " I still don't trust you, Metal Sonic, but I have my own duties to attend to. I am not completely informed on how you have changed, but I will take Sonic's word on the matter and leave the investigating to your allies. " Metal Sonic replied, " Thank you. " He couldn't help but smile at hearing that. Even though Espio was around Sonic's age, he was still wise.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a buzzing sound from behind the bushes, and turned around immediately looking equally apprehensive. Espio pulled out two shurikens from the other pocket in his jacket, and Metal Sonic morphed his fingers into claws to prepare for battle. While Espio simply looked determined to neutralize the threat, Metal Sonic's determination to fight had an undercurrent of fear, with the incessant buzzing sound reminding him of the buzzing and crackling of electricity from the electrified wall he slammed into years ago. It wasn't enough to send him into a frenzy, but it was enough to make him cautious and ready to attack. When a bee flew out from behind the bushes, Espio instantly threw his shurikens at it, which inevitably missed the small target and became lodged in a nearby tree. Metal Sonic activated his boost and became wreathed in flames as he flew towards the bee at Mach 4, flying around it in a circle with his claws out and creating a tornado as he did so, igniting the air between him and the target in flames. Almost three seconds later, Metal Sonic turned off his boost and retracted his claws with a serious expression, with the source of the buzzing sound now charred and ripped apart on the ground in front of him, and Espio continued to look just as serious and apprehensive as before, with neither one of them feeling like their violent reaction to a bee was a paranoid overreaction.

Metal Sonic turned to face Espio as the chameleon said with his arms crossed, " As powerful as ever, I see. We shall meet again, someday… " He ran around in a circle in a purple blur to create a Leaf Tornado around himself and started turning invisible as he said, " Farewell! " with the wind roaring around him. With that, Espio vanished, leaving behind some scattered green leaves that had been magically summoned to him as the only evidence that he was there. Metal Sonic couldn't help but smile in approval at the wise and dignified ninja who spoke in a serious and non-emotional manner. Of all of Sonic's allies, it was clear that Espio was one of his favorite, with his stoic and coldly logical demeanor making him the person he wanted to be, but wasn't. Metal Sonic wanted to look like he was completely without emotions, worries and weaknesses, but he wasn't, and had to fake it. " Metal Sonic? "

He gasped and turned around to see that Knuckles had been spying on him from the bushes, and complained, " How long have you been spying on me? Next time, I'm searching the perimeter! " feeling embarrassed about how Knuckles had witnessed what was, in retrospective, a humiliating overreaction to a tiny insect that couldn't hope to harm him.

Instead of being annoyed with him, Knuckles chuckled and said, " Thanks for taking care of that bee for me. " Thinking that he was teasing him, Metal Sonic crossed his arms and said in annoyance, " I wasn't _scared,_ Knuckles! I just couldn't stand the noise it made, that's all! And why did you feel the need to spy on me? Hasn't anyone ever told you to mind your own business?! " With that, he flew away from him at the speed of sound, causing Knuckles to say, " Hey, wait! " and chase after him, frustrated with the way Metal Sonic had treated him.

* * *

Author's Notes: I've never really written Espio before, so just trying to make him speak in-character was a challenge for me. Either he spoke too informally or spoke too formally, and just figuring out how exactly to phrase his sentences was very trial and error for me. I hope it turned out alright. It makes sense that the narration just refers to him as a Mobian, because really, how is Metal Sonic supposed to look at Espio and figure out that he's a chameleon? He looks nothing like one. Espio and him are sort of like kindred spirits, sharing the same serious, logical, cynical and paranoid personality, but at the same time, they contrast each other, because with Metal Sonic, there's more to him than that. He's trying to look aloof and stoic and trying to play it cool, but as hard he tries to act like he's not emotional, it's just not who he is. He's Sonic at heart, and it's hard for him to act like he doesn't have feelings and hide his worries and weaknesses by acting like someone he's not. That's not to say it's all just an act, but his stoicism is definitely a mask. See you tomorrow for the next chapter! I've been looking forward to writing this one for a long time.


	60. Chapter 60

After Metal Sonic reached his house, he only had a few minutes in there before Knuckles barged in, frustrated with the way he had spoken to him. Metal Sonic crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as Knuckles walked up to him and complained, " Hey! What's up with you?! When Espio says he's suspicious of you, you still like him, but when I do, you treat me with no respect at all! You hold it against _me_ for not trusting you! Why not him?! "

Metal Sonic knew that it was because Espio had a different personality than him, as well as the fact that he wouldn't constantly go around spying on him and accusing him, that he didn't hold it against him. He said in exasperation, " If you don't even know such an obvious answer, I'm not going to waste my breath, " being certain that Knuckles wouldn't listen even if he told him.

" How is that fair?! I don't know, so you won't tell me? How is _that_ gonna help? Arrgh! You're just like Sonic, always rolling your eyes at me and not even bothering to explain things to me and treating me like I'm inferior because you think I'm such an idiot! " Knuckles said in frustration. Metal Sonic was offended at being told he treated him the same way Sonic did. While both him and Sonic treated Knuckles with disrespect, it was for different reasons. " That's not why I don't respect you! " he told him.

Not believing him, Knuckles exclaimed, " Then why do you hate me so much?! " Metal Sonic shot back, " You think that's the only reason anyone could ever hate you, because they think you're an idiot? As if there's nothing else about you that could irritate anyone? " Knuckles ranted, " What else could you hate about me?! Just admit it, you think I'm an idiot just like everybody else. Just a dumb old knucklehead, right?! "

There was a silence. " You're _not_ an _idiot…_ " Metal Sonic begrudgingly replied at last, being unable to bring himself to not be honest despite his resentment of him. His unexpected response was met with another silence, with Knuckles stunned that someone had actually said that to him. It sounded too good to be true. Five seconds later, he finally said with his arms crossed, " Why are you saying that? " wondering if he was only manipulating him. Metal Sonic crossed his arms right back and resentfully answered, " Because you're _not._ " Knuckles questioned, " No one's ever said that to me before. Why would you think that when no one else does? How do you not think I'm an idiot? " not letting himself believe it just to be disappointed.

Metal Sonic reluctantly explained, " Because it's an oversimplification of who you are. You spent most of your life all alone on an island with no knowledge of the outside world, no way of knowing things like social customs, pop culture or common knowledge, so people think you're ignorant because you're still adjusting to the rest of the world, like I am. I mean, look at me, I spent almost all of my life with virtually no experience with the world outside Eggman's base, and the majority of my knowledge of it comes from books. Both of us have been isolated from the rest of the world for as long as we can remember. Is it any wonder we're socially awkward? I'm not an idiot, I'm just clueless sometimes, because I'm like a fish out of water. And both of us make mistakes and have had wrong opinions just like everybody else on the face of the earth, and everyone focuses on that when it comes to you and treats you like an idiot. You're very knowledgeable about your island and the skills you specialize in, you don't always have the wrong idea, and you usually make the smart decision when it really counts, so I don't believe that you're an idiot. Eggman's an idiot, not you. " He really didn't want to look like he sympathized with Knuckles when he was explaining all of that, and the knowledge that he could be revealing that he did made it all the more uncomfortable.

" So, you think Eggman's an idiot, and I'm not? How? " Knuckles asked in confusion, still looking annoyed with him and trying not to get his hopes up. " Because he has no common sense! All he cares about is himself and he keeps trying the same futile plans that always fail and he never learns! He's hopeless! Completely and utterly hopeless! I know he's knowledgeable and skilled, but that alone doesn't mean he's smart. Intelligence is a lot more complicated than people think it is. You could have all the knowledge in the world and still have terrible judgment. If you constantly make the wrong decisions and come to the wrong conclusions, it doesn't matter how knowledgeable and talented you are, " Metal explained in annoyance, feeling less uncomfortable from having the opportunity to rant about Eggman like he always did.

" But, doesn't that, don't you think that fits me? " Knuckles said in confusion, trying not to look like he agreed with that sentiment. " Because I'm ' gullible? ' " he clarified in annoyance. Metal Sonic sighed in exasperation, and said, " That's not why I resent you. " Knuckles complained, " It's why Sonic does… " sounding more depressed than angry.

" Knuckles, the problem is not that you're gullible. Even if you believed the idiot scientist every single time he lied to turn you against Sonic, which I find _really_ hard to believe, it doesn't change the fact that you were the one who made the decision to attack your _own friend_ and engage him in a fight. No one forced you to do that! It was your idea. You could've injured him, sent him to the hospital, even _killed him,_ and the fact that you let Eggman give you some of his deadly machines to fight him with doesn't help. Even though Eggman was the one who turned you against him in the first place, you were the one who made the decision to hurt your own friend and risk killing him in the process, and the kind of person who's fine with doing that is not the kind of person I'd trust! Under no circumstances is it acceptable to hurt your own comrade. That's something an enemy would do, not a friend. And you've been more of an enemy to Sonic than a friend. That's why I don't like you. I don't trust you! Why should I trust you if I can't rely on you not to attack your own teammates? That's the worst thing a friend can do! " Metal Sonic said, going from explaining calmly and resentfully to ranting in righteous indignation.

Knuckles couldn't help but feel guilty from being called out on turning on Sonic so much, but he didn't want to look weak by being honest about it. So instead, he said defensively, " I-I haven't fought with Sonic in years! " Metal Sonic said resentfully, " That's because you _know_ you can no longer get away with it. Did you ever even apologize? Even once? You don't really care about him, you just want to keep the benefits of his support, " in a quiet voice.

" None of that's true! Do you have any idea how hard it would be for me to apologize to him? That doesn't mean I'm not sorry! " Knuckles told him, sounding more sad and guilty than frustrated with him. While Metal Sonic looked stunned at hearing that, Knuckles crossed his arms again and added, " And you wanna keep the benefits of his support, too, but you don't care about him, and you're hating me for _supposedly_ being exactly the same way. You _are_ a hypocrite. "

" That's not true. I… Look, Knuckles! Maybe I do care about him. But th-that doesn't mean I'm not a powerful robot! I'm not weak! You got that? " Metal Sonic said, embarrassed by what he had to admit and trying to compensate for it.

Seeing Metal Sonic act the same way he would at revealing that he had a soft side, Knuckles couldn't help but smile. He chuckled and said, " You're right, " finally accepting the idea that he and Metal Sonic were a lot more alike than it seemed. Not only did they have a lot in common, but from the way that robot said he wasn't just an idiot, he revealed that he may have been the only one who truly understood him. They had the potential to be close friends, and it was more clear to him now than ever. With Metal Sonic looking stunned and not knowing what to say, Knuckles continued with a smile,

" Maybe it's about time I let go of my grudge against you. We really are a lot alike, and I've been shown almost nothing but signs that you're different from the evil robot you used to be. There's a chance I might regret this, but I don't care. I think I'm ready to trust you. " There was a silence, with Metal Sonic being so surprised and confused that he didn't know how to answer. Knuckles said, " I'm not expecting you to stop hating me any time soon, but the way I was treating you wasn't helping. I'll try to cut back on the accusations from now on. "

" I… Alright… " Metal Sonic responded with confusion and sadness. He was beginning to feel remorseful for hating him so much. He thought Knuckles would only feel victimized when he called him out on what he did. " I don't blame you for trusting Eggman so much, " he said reluctantly, looking away from him. " It's just that- " Knuckles started to explain, only for Metal Sonic to say,

" He was the first human you ever met. " Knuckles looked unhappy, and sighed. He was right. Metal continued, " You couldn't help wanting him to be better than he is. I want that, too. I wish the person who created me didn't have to be the way he is, I really do, but if he wasn't, he would have never built me in the first place. No matter how stressful my life gets, I'll always appreciate that he gave it to me. It's just so frustrating that my own creator, and the first organic being I ever met, has to be that way, and there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. He'll never change. He was the first person I ever trusted, because he was the first person I ever met. He took that trust, and look at what he did with it. "

Knuckles nodded unhappily. At the same time that he felt like he could relate to his issues with Eggman, he knew that Metal Sonic had it worse. Both of them wanted the first person they ever met to not be a villain, to the point of deluding themselves that he was better than that at certain points, but Metal Sonic had that villain as the closest person he had to a father. That villain gave him life, and made sure that he was taken care of by fixing and maintaining him and giving him a safe place to live. He gave him so much, and Metal would always appreciate it, but the sheer extent of what Eggman did for him only made the fact that he would never change hurt all the more. Neither of them wanted to feel like they were wrong for trusting Eggman when they first saw him, and always hoped that Eggman would change and prove them right, but at least with Knuckles, he didn't owe so much to him. They had a lot in common, but a lot separated them.

" It's nice to see someone who can relate, at least to some extent. I… I'll see you later, Metal, " Knuckles said. Before he could leave the house, Metal Sonic called out, " Wait! " getting him to turn back to face him. Metal Sonic said resentfully with his arms crossed, " I still don't like you… But Sonic was right. We are a lot alike. " He looked away, and Knuckles could tell how conflicted he was. While Metal Sonic didn't want to forgive him, he couldn't ignore the fact that they had a lot in common and he was a better person than he thought. He couldn't let go of his grudge right away, but in time, he would. Knuckles smiled a little, and left the house at last, leaving the robot alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Author's Notes: In case you're confused, I changed the chapter order and names of a few chapters because it turns out I forgot to post the chapter with Metal Sonic's confrontation with Eggman. So go read " Chapter 58 " and you might see a new chapter that I should've posted earlier.


	61. Chapter 61

After Knuckles left his house, Metal Sonic spent some time reading his encyclopedia in his bed until Metal Knuckles showed up. The two of them told each other what their days had been like, and after that, MK proceeded to tell him about how Orbot and Cubot's days went, what Eggman was planning recently, and finally, the gossip he had heard about the robots in Eggman's base. Of course, only he cared about such gossip, but Metal Sonic humored him and listened anyways. After Metal Knuckles was finished his visit with him, he returned to home base, and Metal Sonic returned to Sonic and Tails' house to continue reading there.

Sonic and Tails were sitting on the living room couch watching TV when Metal Sonic walked into their home. Tails had finally recovered from his fever, and was watching an educational documentary with Sonic that they had previously taped. Shortly after Metal Sonic sat down on the armchair to read, the doorbell rang. Sonic said, " I'll get it, " instantly ran to the door at the speed of sound and opened it, getting an unpleasant surprise in the process.

Opening the door allowed a floating TV monitor broadcasting a recorded message of Eggman's with thin robotic arms to fly into the house on a jetpack. Everyone's full attention was directed to it when they heard Eggman laughing and saying, " I've sent an entire army of my robots to Central City and am on my way there in my _greatest_ mecha yet! The robot army that Metal Sonic defeated today was just a diversion to buy me time! Try to stop me if you can! I'm heading there from the west! If you don't show up, I'll _destroy_ Central City and build Eggmanland in its ruins! " He laughed again, and the message cut out to static and stopped being broadcast at last, causing the TV monitor mech to fly out of the house and into the sky.

Tails said nervously, " Destroy Central City?! " Metal Sonic said in confused annoyance, " Why does he _have_ to destroy a city to make room for Eggmanland? Why can't he just build it in the empty countryside like normal people? " Sonic replied, " Because he likes causing destruction. And _we're_ gonna prevent him from doing it! Come on, guys! " and got up from the couch as Tails paused the documentary. Looking uneasy, Metal Sonic asked, " All of us? Even Tails? " worried about the child's safety.

Sonic smiled and reassured him, " Tails is an awesome fighter! He's got a spindash and he can use his tails to attack, and he can run really fast! He'll do great! " Considering that Tails had far less attacks at his disposal than Sonic did, Metal Sonic was far from reassured by that statement. But he knew that there was nothing he could do or say to change their minds. Both Sonic and Tails were eager to fight Eggman. If he objected too much, they would be upset with him at implying that Tails was weak from being overprotective. Metal Sonic held back a sigh of exasperation, and said unhappily, " Alright, let's go, " with a serious expression to try to hide how worried he was. With that, the three of them ran out of the house and made their way to the field west of Central City, with Tails and Metal Sonic flying their way there.

As soon as they reached the robot army, they immediately started fighting through them to destroy every last one of them, knowing that if they kept any around, the city would still be in danger. Eggman could be seen in the cockpit of a mecha flying ahead of the robot army leading them to the city. The mecha was painted black and red, and had a jetpack on the back of it to make it hover, long mechanical arms with fists, and various cannons attached to all sorts of regions of the mecha that could fire lasers and exploding missiles out of them. Following behind the mecha were mere Egg Pawns, making it clear that they were only there to buy Eggman time, and they were under strict orders to attack the city even if Eggman was defeated and had to retreat. This gave the heroes no choice but to destroy every last one of them, with Sonic, Tails and Metal Sonic all taking advantage of the spindash, Tails using his tail whip attack at various points to attack in a 360 degree radius, Sonic having a strategy of charging up a Light Speed Attack whenever it was safe and releasing it to attack several robots around him at light speed, and Metal Sonic flying through the robots wreathed in flames at Mach 4, using fire to augment his attacks as he spindashed while flying around the robot army. The three of them had agreed on the way there that Tails would take the western side of the robot army while Sonic would take the center part of it and Metal would fight the eastern third, so that they wouldn't get in each other's way and accidentally attack each other as they fought the robots at high speed.

Fifteen minutes into the fight, the robot army was significantly decreased, going from thousands of mass-produced Egg Pawns to hundreds and being reduced to scattered small groups of robots that followed behind Eggman without even trying to attack their extremely fast opponents. Since the robot army had been reduced to small groups with very large spaces in between them, Sonic had gone from barely ever having an opportunity to charge up his Light Speed Attack to using it constantly.

Eventually, after two more minutes, Sonic sighed and said, " I'm about ready to take a breather, " tired from fighting for so long and using the Light Speed Attack so much. He ran at the speed of sound over to Tails' part of the robot army, and quickly found Tails, who was almost finished destroying the western side of the robot army when he saw Sonic, who said, " Hey, Tails! How close is this robot army to Central City? " Tails sat down and pulled out of the pocket dimension under the sole of his shoe a gadget with a screen that could be worn on his wrist. All he had to do was tap the touchscreen a couple of times to bring up the GPS. He said, " It'll take a half an hour for them to reach Central City at the speed they're going. Can we take a break? " Sonic nodded and said, " I'm right behind you, pal. Hey, Metal! "

Metal Sonic had just destroyed a robot near Sonic with the homing-attack and bounce-attacked its remains when he heard Sonic calling out to him. He deactivated his boost as Sonic said, " How's about we take a break? Just for a minute or two. We've got a half an hour to defeat all the robots and Eggman, so there's plenty of time. " Just after that, the three of them turned around in surprise at hearing a familiar robotic voice say, " Must eliminate all Eggman robots! " and the sound of various robots to the east of them being destroyed. They saw Omega rush into fighting with the robot army, wanting to destroy as many of them as possible. Shadow would've run in there with him as well, if he hadn't seen Sonic, Tails and Metal Sonic together and stopped in his tracks in surprise.


	62. Chapter 62

" Hey, Shadow! Long time no see! " Sonic said with a smile. Unless he was asking him for help with anything, Sonic was usually rather friendly with Shadow, much to his annoyance. Instead of greeting him, Shadow said, " I see that Metal Sonic has been assisting you, " with his tone having some confusion to it despite being mostly serious and emotionless. He still couldn't get used to the idea that Metal Sonic had become a hero, let alone had joined Sonic's side. Shadow didn't fail to notice how shy and nervous Metal Sonic was acting from seeing him, which only added to his confusion.

Sonic said cheerfully, " Yep! He's even helped save the world! Isn't that great? " as Omega kept destroying Eggman's robots in the background. Shadow commented, " It wouldn't be the first time. A few years ago, the doctor sent him to me to obtain my assistance in preventing the world's destruction by Eggman Nega. The Metal Sonic I worked with during that period of time sounds nothing like the one you're working with now. He never even spoke. "

Getting the courage to speak at last, Metal Sonic explained, " That was because the doctor removed my ability to speak while installing speakers that would allow him to communicate with you. I have always been able to speak, just not at that period of time. " Shadow questioned, " Your voice sounds different from when I first encountered you. It almost sounds like the voice of that hedgehog. Why? " Metal answered, " The voice I spoke with during that incident was a fabrication of mine. " Shadow nodded and said, " I see, " understanding that Metal Sonic wanted to sound more intimidating than his regular voice would allow.

" And you no longer resent the original? " Shadow questioned, and Metal Sonic answered, " I've grown past that over the years. It wasn't mature of me, but I'm over it now. " Tails added, " There's also the fact that Eggman slightly reprogrammed him to stop focusing so much on whether he's inferior to him or not, so he's able to think clearly about him now, " much to Metal Sonic's chagrin. He didn't want Shadow to think that he only changed because he was reprogrammed. " _Slightly_ reprogrammed. He put a restraining mechanism on that worry, but he didn't change anything else. He didn't remove my free will or anything like that. I'm still the same person, just not as stressed out, " Metal Sonic clarified, unintentionally letting his formality slip.

Shadow was a little surprised at Metal Sonic referring to himself as a person. Omega always called himself a robot and nothing else, and while his comrades called him a person out of respect, he didn't insist on it. He wondered if Metal Sonic being that way was the result of his mind being based on an organic being's and instinctively thinking like one. Everything from the way he spoke to his body language made him strikingly different from Omega, acting more like a human or Mobian than a robot. Shadow had his reservations about Metal Sonic joining Sonic's side and carrying out missions against Eggman for GUN, but seeing in person just how different he was from when he was trying to act intimidating years ago, did a lot to reassure him that he could be trusted. He didn't completely trust him yet, but he would leave the investigating to Sonic. He stated formally, " I have a mission to carry out. I must go, " and was about to run off to start destroying robots with Omega when Metal Sonic said frantically, " Wait! " and he stopped in his tracks in confusion, turning to face him in surprise and keeping a serious expression to save face.

Metal Sonic briefly hesitated before saying to him, " Thank you. " Shadow asked, " For what? " slightly annoyed at him not being clear. " When we were fighting against Eggman Nega alongside each other, you treated me with respect. If I was working with anyone else, like Knuckles for example, I would've been treated with suspicion and distrust and hatred for the entire mission, but you treated me like a trusted ally before I even did anything to earn it. You even showed concern for my safety, asking if I was okay and not wanting me to destroy myself when I gave you my Chaos Emerald, instead of not caring about my well-being in the slightest because I'm just a robot. You were the first person not on the doctor's side to treat me with respect, and to have actual empathy for me, and I can't thank you enough for that. You brought me back to home base after taking me out of the Ifrit's dimension when you could have just left me there to never be repaired. I don't know if it was just because we were working together as allies, but I don't care. Thank you for saving my life. "

Shadow was stunned at that heartfelt speech. He never expected Metal Sonic to have that amount of appreciation for him for the way he acted as his ally. He was a little humbled at being called compassionate and respectful in front of Sonic and looking less dignified in the process, but the fact that it was Metal Sonic who was thanking him allowed him to forgive the slight embarrassment. It was impressive that such a proud powerful robot was able to thank him at all. So, after two seconds where he was speechless, Shadow replied, " You're welcome… I appreciate you saying that. Perhaps you truly have changed from when I fought you. I commend you on leaving the doctor, and on assisting the blue hedgehog, and on staying loyal to Rouge during your mission with her. "

" You're loyal to Rouge? The thief, Rouge? " Tails said in confusion. With his anxiety having significantly reduced from saying what he wanted to say to Shadow, Metal Sonic spoke nonchalantly as he clarified, " Only for the sake of completing missions with her. With the sole exception of Eggman, I stay loyal to the ones I'm working with as much as possible, no matter who they are. She's a cheerful person and she gets the job done, but I don't really trust her all that much. She's okay, " and shrugged, not meaning to compliment or insult her.

" Why thank you, Metal, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me! " Rouge said with playful sarcasm, flying down from the sky and landing on her feet behind Metal Sonic with a smile. She wasn't really offended by what he had said, partially because she was too focused on how he had shown gratitude to Shadow to care. While Sonic, Tails and Shadow looked surprised at Rouge overhearing the conversation and Sonic and Tails looked nervous at her offended reaction, Metal Sonic almost perfectly hid his surprise and deadpanned with his arms crossed, " I know the feeling, " understanding what it was like to end up appreciating just being called a decent person.

Rouge said with a smile, " Do you recognize that robot? The one who's getting rid of all of the others? " and pointed to a bulky robot slightly taller than Sonic who had a black and red paint job and was shooting at every robot in the vicinity. The robot had glowing red eyes that lacked pupils, unlike his, and had a type of rocket booster on his back that allowed him to move faster than a regular robot could.

" You're asking me if I know him? " Metal Sonic deadpanned, and rolled his eyes before saying sarcastically, " Yeah, because all robots know each other, right? Hey, I know a guy you'd like to meet. He's organic! You might know him, " and rolled his eyes again.

The revelation that he had no memory of Omega worried everyone around him, but Shadow was completely shocked by it. He knew what it was like to have suffered memory loss, and because of that experience, he couldn't help but be upset at the idea of anyone else going through what he did, even if on a smaller scale. Forgetting a minor detail was one thing, but to completely forget about someone like Omega, despite fighting him multiple times in three days, was a sign of significant memory loss. And no one else but him seemed to be surprised by it, as if they had known all along. He wondered if Eggman had erased Metal Sonic's memories of the Metal Overlord Incident to try to keep him from doing it again, and was angry with the doctor for doing such a thing. But he didn't want to look too emotional by saying what he wanted to say, so he kept it to himself, deciding that he would confront Rouge on the matter when the time was right.

With only a two second silence after Metal Sonic revealed he didn't recognize Omega, Rouge smiled again and said, " Oh, come _on,_ don't you recognize him a _little_ bit? " Metal Sonic said quietly, " He does seem _vaguely_ familiar… " and Rouge said playfully, " There's a hint on his shoulder plates… " Confused, Metal Sonic looked at Omega's metal shoulders and saw the Greek letter of Omega on them, and his eyes widened in realization. After three seconds, he said to himself in a confused whisper, " Omega? " with everyone around him hearing. Rouge said happily, " That's right! He's Omega! I told you you'd recognize him! " and giggled, with Metal Sonic looking ashamed and a little frustrated with himself for forgetting what he looked like so easily.

" Right, right, Omega, that rogue robot who became friends with Shadow the Hedgehog! I remember him! I just forgot what he looked like… " Metal Sonic said in a hurried voice, annoyed with himself for most of it and speaking in a depressed tone for the final sentence, ashamed of his faulty memory. Shadow didn't fail to notice how embarrassed he was of being so forgetful, and felt sympathy for him in spite of himself.

" You mind if he joins in? Well, he already did, you know how much he loves destroying robots, after all… " Rouge said lightheartedly. Shadow deadpanned, " He believes himself to be the most powerful of the doctor's robots, and wants to destroy any ' inferior models ' that the doctor has chosen over him. " Metal Sonic gave Omega a strange look after hearing that, and said, " Alright, then, " sounding confused. Rouge asked, " Something wrong? " wondering if he was offended at Omega thinking of himself as more powerful than him.

Metal Sonic said honestly, " No, I don't hold it against him for thinking that. He was isolated from the rest of Eggman's robots, so it's only logical that he wouldn't have heard them talk about me. I have heard rumors of robots that deluded themselves into thinking they were the most powerful one in the world, but I never thought I'd actually see one for myself. Huh. " He didn't seem that upset by it, which confused Shadow to no end.

Rouge asked, " So you don't wanna prove him wrong? " and Metal Sonic replied calmly, " No. If he really thinks he's more powerful than me, then there's nothing I could do to convince him otherwise. I'll just let him think that. Besides, I don't entirely want to damage him. He's one of Shadow's comrades, and I don't hold much of a grudge against him, " and shrugged. Deciding that it was best not to press the subject, Rouge said with a smile, " Well, that's good. We'll be fighting Eggman's robots if you need us! " and ran over to the nearest Egg Pawns to attack them, causing Shadow to follow her and join Omega in destroying the rest of the robot army that GUN had sent them to deal with.

Sonic asked, " Hey, Tails, how long before old Egghead reaches the city? " Tails looked at his GPS again, doing some calculations in his head about how far away Eggman was from him, and said, " We've only got two minutes to defeat Eggman's mecha before it's too late! Shadow and his friends will take care of the robots! Come on, we've gotta hurry! " in a panicked voice. With that, Metal Sonic, Sonic and Tails rushed to catch up with the flying mecha leading the Egg Pawns to the city, with Metal Sonic and Tails flying as Sonic ran at the speed of sound.


	63. Chapter 63

Eggman's mecha turned around to face Sonic, Tails and Metal Sonic as soon as they became close enough to it, with Eggman laughing evilly in the cockpit. The mecha had a jetpack attached to the back of it that allowed it to hover in any direction at a speed that would've made it incredibly agile if it weren't for the mecha's size making it such a large target. The mecha had black cannons on every part of it from the front to the back that could shoot either lasers or missiles in response to the press of a button, and long mechanical arms and legs that could be used to swat at or kick at any opponents. The instant the mecha turned around to face them, Metal Sonic flew at the chest of the mecha with his claws out at the speed of sound, only to be smacked in the left arm by the first attack from its fist and sent to the ground as a punishment for trying to attack it from the front. Sonic and Tails gasped and looked at him in concern, only to be relieved at discovering that while he was lying on the ground, his arm was only dented, and he was still just as capable of fighting as before.

Metal Sonic taking damage caused Sonic to immediately take the threat seriously, knowing full well how rare it was for the robot to sustain damage in a fight. " We'll all have to pitch in and attack the mecha from the back! Stay away from the front! " Sonic instructed, and Tails responded, " Got it! " looking nervous at what the mecha was capable of. Metal Sonic deadpanned sarcastically, " I'm _fine,_ by the way. Frankly, your concern for me is getting embarrassing, " and used his jet engine to assist him in getting up from the ground faster, finding it difficult to push himself up from the ground with an arm that was stinging in pain.

Eggman laughed smugly and pulled a lever to command the mecha to attempt to smack him again, only for Metal Sonic to activate his Black Shield and deflect the attack back at the mecha in half the time of the blink of an eye, making the mecha smack itself as Sonic and Tails homing-attacked and spindashed it from the back, having made it there from Metal Sonic serving as a distraction. From that, Metal Sonic determined the most optimal battle strategy; he would slam into the mecha with a burning homing-attack to provoke it, use the Black Shield to deflect the resulting counter-attack, and attack again, keeping Eggman occupied with him so that he couldn't turn around to face Sonic and Tails. Eggman had no choice but to rely on the laser-shooting and missile-shooting cannons on the back of the mecha to attempt to attack Sonic and Tails as they fought the mecha from behind, easily dodging the lasers and missiles and being thankful for the robot that was keeping the mecha distracted.

Over the course of several minutes, Eggman's mecha became more and more damaged. By the end of the fight, it was almost falling apart, cracked and dented in every area, with all of its laser and missile-shooting cannons sliced off by Metal Sonic's burning spindash. Deciding that it was the perfect time to deal a finishing blow, Metal Sonic flew in front of the chest of the mecha, and a whirring sound was heard as he charged up his Plasma Pulse Attack. Eggman gasped at realizing what he was about to do, and said angrily, " Oh, no you don't! " Three seconds later, he was able to blast a hole through the middle of the mecha with a powerful reddish-pink laser that created an explosion upon connecting with it, but not before the mecha smacked him to the ground with the side of his head being dented and cracked.

He spent a few seconds lying on the ground before forcing himself to stand back up as if nothing was wrong, with Eggman flying away in the Eggmobile leaving a wreckage of a mecha behind. His arm and head were stinging and aching, with the former stinging for the entire fight and being less functional than before, but he ignored the pain and fought through it as if it weren't even there, both to avoid worrying anyone and to avoid looking weak.

After the Eggmobile flew out of earshot with Eggman angrily swearing revenge, Sonic and Tails cheered and hi-fived each other while Metal Sonic discreetly rubbed his arm in pain. Sonic turned to him and said with a grin, " I gotta say, I'm impressed! You fought that mecha harder than you ever fought me! Using your boost to make your attacks deal more damage, using the Black Shield to deflect every attack, I've never seen you use that strategy against _me!_ " and chuckled.

Metal Sonic explained reluctantly, " That is because I was holding back. Even when I cared more about defeating you than anything else, a part of me still knew that I would regret such a victory, and that, combined with my not wanting to use ' cheap ' strategies against you, caused me to not fight you as well as I potentially could've. " Sonic said lightheartedly, " Aw, so all those times I was testing out my skills against you, you were holding back? Maybe the two of us should have a little rematch to- "

" No, " Metal Sonic replied firmly, wondering why Sonic would even joke about that. If his arm wasn't in such pain, he would've had his arms crossed, but all he could manage to do at the moment was look annoyed. Sonic said cheerfully, " Aw, come on, Metal, lighten up! There's nothing wrong with some friendly competition! "

Metal Sonic explained with a serious tone, " There's a difference between friendly competition and engaging in a life-threatening battle with someone who's supposed to be your friend. I'm not betraying you by causing you harm, whether it's a ' friendly ' competition or not. You may be able to look back on our rivalry with a smile, but I can't. And I never will. We're never fighting again. That's final. "

Sonic said unhappily while nervously scratching the back of his head, " Sorry, Metal. I was just joking. " Being apologized to by Sonic the Hedgehog felt wrong, as if he could never do enough to earn such a privilege. Remembering everything that he owed to him, Metal Sonic immediately felt guilty for upsetting him and said sadly, " No, that's alright, I understand. You don't need to apologize to me. " Sonic smiled nervously and said, " Good… "

Sonic thought, " _Does he really think that hurting your friend means betraying him? Knuckles hurt me plenty of times… Is that why Metal doesn't like him? Does he think of Knuckles as a traitor? If he's that loyal to me, I can't blame him for being annoyed with Knuckles, then. Heck, he's the most blindly loyal friend I have! I don't know if he's more loyal than Tails, but he does what I want him to do even if he disagrees with it! Maybe Metal developed his loose definition of betrayal and blind loyalty and obedience from being around Eggman's robots for all his life. I don't know if I want him to do whatever I say without question, but I guess I'd rather he be that way to me than anyone else. I guess a friend being that way is nice, but I'd rather someone think for themselves. Does he think of me as his new master?_ " Wanting to reassure Metal Sonic that he was more than that, Sonic gave him a thumbs-up and said in a friendly way, " Thanks, buddy! You did a great job fighting today, " and caused him to smile.

Tails said in concern, " Metal, you're hurt… " causing Sonic and Metal Sonic to turn to face him immediately. Tails had been completely focused on the damage that Eggman had caused him for the entirety of their conversation. While the robot hadn't lost any oil through the cracks in his metal casing, the cracks and dents were still enough to make Tails cringe. As an engineer, he possessed the kind of machine empathy that allowed him to immediately register the cracks and dents in Metal Sonic's body as the cuts and bruises they were, and unlike Gamma, he didn't possess the auto-recovery systems to heal such damage on his own. He would have to fix it for him, for the very first time. " I'm not completely ready to fix you yet… " Tails said insecurely. Wanting him to feel better, Metal Sonic smiled and said, " Don't worry, kiddo, you'll do great. You've studied my blueprints so much, you'll do a better job than he ever did. " This caused both Sonic and Tails to smile, finding it heartwarming how encouraging he was being. " A-Alright, Metal. You'll have to wait a few hours while I get things ready in my workshop, and when I have the materials to fix you, I'll call you. I'll see what I can do. "


	64. Chapter 64

With Eggman's mecha finally defeated, Sonic, Tails and Metal Sonic went home at last, knowing that Shadow, Rouge and Omega would defeat his robot army without them. Upon reaching the Mystic Ruins, Tails immediately went into his workshop to prepare the metal he had recently bought for being a suitable replacement. Fixing Metal Sonic wouldn't be simply a matter of sealing the cracks or even placing new metal where the old metal was. He would have to modify the metal he had to not only be the right size and shape, but also have the same wires and sensors as the metal he would be replacing. He would need to temporarily hollow out the metal plates to put wires in exactly the right part of them to function as nerves and carry energy properly, and replicate the temperature, pain and tactile sensors that were on the outside of the metal he would be replacing, so that the replacement metal for him would have feeling in it and genuinely feel like it was a part of his body. It was less like repairing a machine and more like replacing damaged skin. He had never taken up a project like that before, and the pressure to get it right the first time had him both nervous and excited.

Metal Sonic didn't mind waiting in the living room of Sonic's house for a few hours for Tails to be ready to fix him, mainly because he had an encyclopedia to keep him occupied. Finding it too painful to attempt to hold up a book on the armchair with his dented arm, he sat down on the floor of the living room and placed the open encyclopedia on the table in front of him. Before he could return to the page he was originally on and start reading it, however, Sonic went up to him with a smile and talked to him.

" Well, that was fun! It's a shame that Knuckles couldn't be there to make things a little quicker, though, " Sonic said. He knew that the most tactful way to find out what he wanted was to start a conversation that would naturally lead to him learning it, because even if it did take longer, it would be less likely to worry Metal Sonic than bluntly asking him what he wanted to know. Looking for the page he was on before, Metal Sonic commented in subdued annoyance, " I suppose, but in retrospect, him being there would have been unnecessary. We earned our victory and survived with minimal damage, and him being there wouldn't have changed the outcome of the battle. "

Sonic said playfully with a smile, " Oh, come _on,_ does it _really_ have to be _necessary_ for him to be with us? He's not _that_ bad. " Finding the page he wanted at last, Metal Sonic deadpanned, " Never thought you'd say that. When's the last time you've complimented Knuckles? From what I've heard, you're rarely even happy to see him. "

Understanding what he was implying, Sonic stopped smiling and said unhappily, " He's still my friend! I still care about him and all. He's just annoying and we don't get along. But we're still friends. " Metal Sonic rolled his eyes. It was clear from his reaction that he didn't agree with his sentiment. He stated almost emotionlessly, " You're two people who share a common goal to prevent the idiot scientist from carrying out his plans, and he contributes to the cause in his own way, with his digging ability and whatnot. And you care about everyone at least a little. It's part of being a compassionate person. Even if you hated someone, you'd still care about them. I understand why you're on the same side, but that alone doesn't explain why you consider Knuckles your friend, considering you do nothing but argue and battle each other in the same manner that enemies would. Your friendship with Knuckles must serve a vital purpose if the universe is so intent on preserving it, so I understand why you'd keep him your ally, but you two act _nothing_ like friends. "

" Friends don't always have to get along to be friends. They just have to be people who care about each other enough to support each other when they're in need of support, and understand each other more than most people do. Me and Knuckles might argue all the time, and we've gotten into fights because of Eggman, but we still care about each other even if we don't show it most of the time. We can still rely on each other most of the time. We just don't get along. Haven't you ever had a friend like that? " Sonic explained calmly, sad that Metal Sonic thought that way and trying to be patient with him.

" No. My comrades were polite and considerate to me. They did contradict me and challenge my opinions a lot, asking if that's how I really felt and providing counterpoints to what I said, but they were always polite and courteous about it instead of being rude. We didn't really argue with each other that much. We just told each other about our problems and how our days were, with Metal Knuckles filling out the rest of the conversation with the gossip he had heard. We supported each other and assisted each other, and I could always rely on them, even if they had to break Eggman's rules in the process. They would listen to me and keep information to themselves instead of telling our boss everything, and they would even assist me in breaking his rules and getting away with it at times, with MK agreeing to let me use his android disguise to get books from Station Square and so on. They were people I trusted, and while we didn't always agree on everything and often had different ways of looking at things, we still didn't act like we hated each other at any point. Anyone could take a look at us while we were interacting and tell that we were friends. I've never had a friend who was outright vitriolic to me and acted like an enemy most of the time. It's a strange concept to me, a sort of blend between enemy and friend that I can't approve of because it's not enough like the latter. Assuming that I even _could_ like someone who treated me like an enemy most of the time, it would take a lot of getting used to, and I could only trust them reluctantly, " Metal Sonic told him, showing little emotion as usual.

Sonic said unhappily, " I see… " and sighed. Seeing the normally cheerful hedgehog so disappointed upset him, and he immediately decided to make him feel better in spite of himself. " Things have been getting better, Sonic. He's showing signs that he's going to stop being suspicious of me all the time. It's looking like he might lighten up on me a little, and while I'm not certain if I'll ever be able to forgive him for all the times he turned on you, I suppose if he could at _least_ be a decent friend to _me,_ we may be able to get along. If I can trust him not to turn on me and attack me, and he shows that he trusts me back, things might be okay. Don't worry about it, " Metal Sonic said, reluctantly comforting him even if it made him look weak.

Sonic smiled at hearing that. He knew that they would get used to each other eventually. It was only a matter of time. While they weren't quite friends just yet, they were at the very least getting less antagonistic. As Sonic smiled at the hope that Knuckles and Metal Sonic could become closer friends, he was blissfully unaware that Knuckles himself had listened in on the entire conversation.

Hiding in the kitchen to avoid being caught eavesdropping, Knuckles thought deeply about what he had just heard, letting it all sink in. It all made sense now. While Sonic and Knuckles had been " vitriolic best buds " and gotten used to each other, Metal Sonic had never had any experience with that kind of friendship before. His friends got along and talked about their feelings, partially because there was no available activity fun enough for them to be focused on it to the point of not talking about anything else. His friends were polite and understanding, and even when they told him why they thought he was wrong, they did it in a polite enough way that Metal Sonic ended up admitting that they had a good point. He had never had a friendly rival before, and with that knowledge in mind, it made perfect sense that he would view that concept as a treacherous friend, someone who didn't adhere to the standards of friendship that his own friends did, and not understand that there was more to it than that. His friends were part of his family, and until he joined Sonic's side, he had never any friends who weren't. He didn't just hate Knuckles, he had high standards and had a hard time adjusting to someone with standards that were lower. And what he said at the end of it all gave him hope. Knuckles had heard confirmation from him that it was possible for them to get along. As long as he kept in mind that attacking him for any reason was unacceptable, and kept his suspicion to himself, there was a chance that Metal Sonic could lighten up on him and let go of his grudge. There was hope.


	65. Chapter 65

Sonic said with a smile, " Well, I'm gonna go for a run. See you! " and ran out of the house in a blue blur, leaving Metal Sonic alone to read. But before he could start reading without any distractions, he was surprised at seeing Knuckles emerge from the kitchen and walk up to him. " Let me guess, you eavesdropped on me again. How many times can I expect this to happen? " Metal Sonic deadpanned as Knuckles walked up to him with a smile.

" Depends on what I hear, " Knuckles said with a shrug, slightly annoying him. " I don't know _why_ he stood up for you. It's not like you've ever stood up for _him,_ " Metal Sonic complained bitterly, referring to the conversation he knew Knuckles had overheard.

Knuckles said with a proud smile, " Of course he backed me up! Who's his best friend next to Tails? " Metal Sonic, finding it unfathomable that a friend that Sonic never got along with would be considered anything above his least favorite, replied in confusion," Um, Amy? " Knuckles said, " No, " looking at him strangely. " Espio? " Metal Sonic guessed again with an even more doubtful tone. " No! " Knuckles said in annoyance. He pointed his thumb towards himself and said with a proud smile, " It's me! "

Metal Sonic was silent for two seconds before rolling his eyes and saying sarcastically, " _Okay,_ then. " He clearly believed he was deluded. Knuckles said, " Oh, come on, who else would it be? You really think Sonic's _stalker with a crush_ would be his second favorite friend? " Metal Sonic shrugged and said apathetically, " She's nice to _me._ A lot nicer than you are to him, " making it clear that even though he understood why Sonic wasn't comfortable around Amy, he didn't entirely care because it didn't involve him.

Knuckles rolled his eyes at his apparent lack of empathy, and said in annoyance, " Well, who's _your_ best friend? " Metal Sonic was quiet briefly before saying in a serious tone, " I refuse to answer that. Saying that would be _treacherous_ to the _rest_ of my comrades, and I'm not betraying them under any circumstances. You may be willing to insult your friends behind their backs on a daily basis, but I'm not. It's called loyalty, Knuckles. Learn it. " Knuckles looked annoyed with him with his arms crossed and sighed in exasperation at Metal Sonic's loose definition of betrayal, only to catch himself not getting along with him and decide to try again.

Changing the subject, Knuckles asked him with a friendly smile, " So, uh… When's your birthday? " Metal Sonic looked surprised, and then nervous and embarrassed, before quickly returning to a serious expression and replying, " I refuse to answer that. " Getting frustrated with his continued refusal to tell him anything, Knuckles asked, " Why _not?_ " being clearly annoyed with him.

He answered, " B-Because you don't need to _know,_ " attempting a serious tone only to stammer and give away his anxiety. Knuckles exclaimed in frustration, " Of course I need to know! Sonic and Tails need to know! You're on a new side with new friends now and they don't even know when your _birthday_ is! "

Metal Sonic, being more nervous about what he was hiding than Knuckles' anger, said, " I fail to see its relevance. It's only the day I was created. Why would it be important to them? " Knuckles crossed his arms again and said in frustration, " Don't you want them to celebrate your birthday? "

Metal Sonic replied honestly, " Not really. I'm not interested in ' birthday parties ' or anything like that. To someone more extroverted like Sonic, parties sound quite fun, but to me, they sound exhausting. I'd rather be doing something else, like _reading_ when I'm _alone._ Besides, back in home base, I never received any big birthday celebration. I mean, I got a few upgrades to commemorate my creation, but that was as far as it went. And that's how I would prefer it. The less attention I get, the better. "

Knuckles couldn't help but empathize with what he was saying. With the exception of the reading and upgrades part, Metal Sonic was saying the same things he did when Sonic first asked him about _his_ birthday. He didn't appreciate parties, either, and he could understand why the robot wasn't comfortable with having all the attention on him when that usually meant that everyone was afraid of him. He sighed and said in annoyance, " I didn't want to tell Sonic my birthday at first, either. You're not the only one who doesn't like parties. But everyone deserves to have a day that celebrates the day their life started, and that's why I gave him an answer even though I didn't know myself. "

" You don't know your own birthday? " Metal Sonic said in shocked confusion. He could understand Shadow forgetting it from amnesia, but not Knuckles. " Well, it's not like there was anyone else on my island to tell me when I was born. I tried to find out from the Master Emerald, but it only showed me an image telling me what season it was, so I had to guess. I don't know when my actual birthday is, but I still have a day to celebrate it. And you should, too. A vital part of friendship is birthday celebration, or at least that's what Tails told me, " Knuckles explained. He was speaking to him as if he had been having conversations with him for his entire life. It was as if he was already used to thinking of him as his friend.

" Yeah, well, um… There are other people in the team who deserve the attention more than I do. Like Sonic, for one, " Metal Sonic said, not wanting to reveal that he was feeling more compelled to answer. Knuckles asked, " Come on, can't you at least give me a hint? Is it in the summer like mine? That'd be another thing we'd have in common, " being frustrated at first and smiling by the end.

There was a silence. " It's in June… " Metal Sonic reluctantly said in a quiet voice, looking away from him. He would've had his arms crossed, if his left arm wasn't injured. Upon hearing his answer, Knuckles' eyes widened and he said, " June?... That's when Sonic's birthday is! The 23rd of June! " It was clear what he was beginning to suspect. As if his embarrassed behavior wasn't enough of a sign, the month he was created in made it clear. The silence from Metal Sonic told him everything he needed to know.

" You and Sonic share a birthday… " Knuckles said quietly in realization, finally figuring out what Metal Sonic was hiding. The robot sighed melancholically at not even having his own birthday to himself, with it instead being one of the many things that Sonic had first. It was yet another thing that made him unoriginal, and while he wasn't nearly as bothered by it as when he was a child, he still wished it was some other way. Metal Sonic answered reluctantly, " You're right… The idiot scientist felt it would be thematically appropriate to have his _robot Sonic_ be created on the same day that Sonic came into the world. I understand why he did that, but still… I don't even have my own birthday to myself! My speed, my skills, my sentience, almost everything I have comes from Sonic. Nothing's really mine… When I was living in home base, I could have my birthday celebrated because I was with my family and Sonic wasn't there, but now that I'm on Sonic's side, I… I don't want people to feel like they have to choose between celebrating Sonic's birthday and mine. I'd want a small celebration without any party of the something, with an upgrade for a present at most, but no one's going to understand, they're going to want to make a big deal out of it like they do with yours. "

Knuckles couldn't help but feel sympathy for him at hearing that. He reluctantly said in a comforting way, " I understand why you don't want them to know. But like I said, your birthday's an important day. And unlike me, you have the privilege of actually knowing when your birthday is. It wouldn't feel special for you to have your birthday celebrated on the wrong day because you lied about when it was. Sonic and Tails will understand. You want Sonic to keep his birthday, so he'll still have all the attention on him, and only me, him and Tails will know it's your birthday, too. He'll get some gifts, but so will you. He'll get his birthday celebration the way he wants it, and you'll get yours the way you want it. And that sounds a lot better to me than not having your birthday celebrated at all. "

Metal Sonic sighed unhappily. " You're right, Knuckles. You have a good point, " he said reluctantly, admitting when no one else would that Knuckles could actually have some smart ideas. Knuckles didn't fail to notice that he was admitting he was right when no one else would, and smiled, approving of how it was a nice change of pace.

* * *

Author's Notes: Fun fact, June 23rd is actually the official Sega answer to when Sonic's birthday is.


	66. Chapter 66

An hour passed after Knuckles went into Sonic and Tails' house, during which Metal Sonic read the book he had brought there while waiting for Tails to be ready to fix him. When Tails finally was, he was relieved, mainly because he wanted the pain he was suffering from to cease. Tails opened the front door and said, " Metal, I'm ready to fix you! " and hearing that caused him to immediately stand up and walk out of the house, following Tails to his workshop as he said to him, " I'm sorry it took me so long. " Metal Sonic replied to reassure him, " Don't worry about it, " and Tails smiled nervously, not entirely feeling better about making him wait so long.

Upon walking into Tails' workshop, he noticed that there were pillows covering the workbench, and smiled fondly at the fact that Tails was compassionate enough to do that without being asked to. The only reason Eggman had agreed to do it was because he had a traumatic flashback in front of him at the trigger of lying on something made of metal. Even though he was Eggman's favorite robot, it took until something like that happened for him to even consider making his workbench more comfortable for him. Tails said with a smile, " I figured it'd be more comfortable for you to lie on pillows than just a hard metal workbench, " as Metal Sonic laid down on his back on the pillow-covered workbench with a smile. " Thanks, kiddo, " he said with a smile, and found himself giving him a quick thumbs-up like Sonic would, proud of him for his act of compassion for a robot he was about to fix. Tails was briefly stunned into silence at Metal Sonic giving him a thumbs-up like Sonic despite it being contrary to his dignified nature, and spent almost two seconds wondering just how strong his Sonic instincts truly were before saying quickly, " No problem, " not wanting him to notice how stunned he was at it and never do it again.

Metal Sonic told him, " You're going to have to temporarily shut me down to repair me. It'll make it less likely that oil will leak out and be a lot less painful for me that way. But you've studied my blueprints so extensively that I can trust that you know what to do, and that you won't _reprogram_ me, " sternly reminding him that he disapproved of anyone altering his programming permanently. Tails looked nervous again, and asked, " So, um, from a robot's perspective, is shutting you down, um, killing you? "

Metal Sonic almost smiled, and only made sure not to because it wouldn't fit the situation. Tails was so much more compassionate to him than Eggman, who didn't think twice about scrapping and thus executing robots he was unsatisfied with, not valuing the lives of robots at all. But Tails was different. Metal Sonic answered honestly, " Well, I suppose, but the way I see it, death is _by definition_ permanent, so even if I'm shut down, if I'm ever going to activated again at any point in the future, it's not death, it's more like a deep sleep. You have nothing to worry about, " and smiled at him at last, appreciating the machine empathy that the child had.

Reassured by that statement, Tails nodded and said, " Alright. Have some rest, Metal, " and plugged something that was connected to his computer into the small socket just above his jet engine. He sat down on the chair in front of his computer and went to the programming app for it to access his programming. When a password prompt showed up, Tails, already knowing the password from Metal Sonic's blueprints, typed in, " Robotnik'sGreatestCreation, " clicked OK and opened the file inside the torso folder, accessing his programming easily. The fact that the password was a declaration of how proud Eggman was of him was both heartwarming and tragic, and as Tails skimmed code while scrolling down the page, he looked a little sad, wishing that Eggman didn't have to be the way he was. When he reached the code of Metal Sonic's energy source, Tails altered the code slightly, typing OFF instead of ON. This caused electrical signals to go from the computer to Metal Sonic that alerted certain nanobots in his body to carry out the instructions Tails had typed down, interrupting the flow of electricity in his energy source to keep it from spreading through the rest of his wires and cutting his body off from energy, shutting him down. The robot's respiration stopped and so did his heart as he temporarily ceased functions, and Tails sighed unhappily at the implications of what he did, reassuring himself with what Metal Sonic told him before he started to fix him.

Deciding to start with his arm, Tails picked up a long thin metal object from the floor that he designed to change color on its surface to display an image of what was on the other side of what it was above, functioning as a portable X-Ray device that allowed him to see through objects to varying degrees that he could set himself with a switch. He used the device to find out to his relief that the robot had only suffered damage to the outer layer of his metal casing; he wasn't quite ready to attempt to fix damage to his metal bones yet. He placed a special variety of cutting paste on a cutting tool to make it capable of penetrating the metal of his arm, and carefully used it to remove the dented outer layer of metal on his arm. He then placed the old metal in one of his workshop's shelves and brought out the replacement metal for his arm that he had spent half of the previous hour shaping, placing wires and special oil inside it and sensors on the outside of it, and finally giving it a paint job to match the rest of Metal Sonic's body. Tails used another tool to wet the sides and bottom of the replacement metal with a thick liquid of nanoglue, with his tool designed to have anti-nanoglue coating on it for the task at hand, and carefully placed the metal into Metal Sonic's arm.

Smiling at how the replacement metal fit perfectly, Tails put a welding mask on and got to work carefully and slowly welding the replacement metal's outer edges to cement the metal's position as a replacement. When he was finished, he smiled again, feeling more confident as he took off his welding mask to more clearly look at the job he had done. He had successfully fixed Metal Sonic's left arm, and after using the portable X-Ray device on his head to access the damage, he realized that all he had to do was repeat the same process for his cracked and dented head to fix it as well.

When he finally finished repairing Metal Sonic, it was an hour before he was meant to have dinner. Happy at his accomplishment and eager to show him, Tails returned to Metal Sonic's code to reactivate him, and when he woke up without pain, he sat up from the workbench and smiled, saying, " Good job, kiddo. You did it perfectly. " He was surprised when Tails decided to hug him while giggling happily, overwhelmed with joy at successfully fixing him on his first try, and he returned the hug with a small smile in appreciation.

* * *

Author's Notes: This was actually a lot easier to write than you'd think. All I had to do was keep vague the details that would require a lot of research. I have more trouble writing Espio than writing this.


	67. Chapter 67

Knuckles was sitting on Sonic's living room couch reluctantly watching television when Tails and Metal Sonic walked into the house, with Tails having stains of grease and oil on various parts of his body, mainly his hands. Tails noticed him and said with a smile of childish excitement, " Hey, Knuckles, guess what?! I fixed Metal Sonic for the first time! And I did a good job on the first try! " Having been out of the loop, Knuckles asked, " Huh? Why did he need to get fixed? " Metal Sonic answered nonchalantly, " Eggman's mecha. I barely took any damage though, just a few dents and cracks. It's not a big deal. "

He turned to Tails, and said to him, " I recommend you get yourself clean after all that hard work. I doubt your big brother would want you walking around with grease and oil stains on you, and it's not healthy, either. " Tails looked at his gloves, which were stained with oil and grease, and took them off to see that the stains had soaked through them to his hands. He laughed nervously and said with an embarrassed smile, " You're right. I should get clean. " His smile became genuine as he said, " Thanks, Metal! " and went to the washroom to clean himself off, with Metal Sonic calling out like a concerned parent, " Make sure to wash your hands three times with soap and water! " as he ran into the washroom and closed the door behind him. Knuckles chuckled in amusement, causing Metal Sonic to look annoyed with him, saying defensively, " _What?_ He _should_ be getting clean. "

" Yeah, but washing his hands three times? " Knuckles teased with a cocked eyebrow. " Why not? If keeping clean keeps an organic healthy, then the best thing for him to do is do it as best as he can. It's only logical. I fail to see why this is a joke to you, Knuckles, " Metal Sonic said in subdued annoyance.

Knuckles said with his arms crossed, " Washing your hands too much can actually cause them to crack and even bleed from getting rid of the protective oils in them, so it's not really a good idea. " Metal Sonic looked surprised and nervous, and said after a brief silence, " Oh. " Feeling embarrassed, he said in annoyance, " Well, how was I supposed to know that? " and thought, " _And protective oils in regular skin? I didn't read about that yet. I know I have my own version of them, but I didn't think organics had their own oils. I'm the second most well-read person I know, how did I not know that? I hate being clueless._ "

Knuckles didn't fail to notice how Metal Sonic wasn't surprised at all that he knew such a thing. If he said that to Sonic, the hedgehog would've been surprised and condescendingly congratulated him for saying something smart for once, as if he never said anything worthwhile at all. But Metal Sonic didn't, and he couldn't help but smile at that. " I used to do that when I was really young because I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get sick when I was alone on an island without a hospital, and I ended up finding out on my own why it was a bad idea. When you have to survive on your own, you learn a lot, " he explained nonchalantly, proud of his survival skills.

Metal Sonic nodded, only to get annoyed again when Knuckles started teasing him again, saying to him with an amused smile, " Would you really be that dedicated to not getting sick if you weren't a robot? I'm guessing that you'd be the kind of guy who would make sure to wash his hands ten times a day to make absolutely sure you would be healthy. Isn't that a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder? "

Metal Sonic looked away in a mixture of annoyance and shame and said quietly, " Oh, shut up… " The last sentence hit him particularly hard, because he might have been right. When he was a child, he was so fixated on the dreadful anxiety that Sonic was superior to him and he was worthless because of it, that he became obsessed with the idea and developed compulsions to try to calm his anxiety as a result, obsessive-compulsively training to surpass Sonic in every minor way even past the point of reason. A part of him knew that it wasn't helping him to go through the same places Sonic did multiple times to get better times than him. He knew it was irrational and wasn't making him feel better, but he did it anyways, getting incredibly nervous and uneasy if he didn't try to surpass Sonic for 11 hours a day. When Orbot discovered his fear of lightning, he recommended to him engaging in rewarding activities to distract himself from his anxiety instead of hiding under the blankets of his bed, and that led to him developing a habit of organizing, checking and cleaning to instinctively calm his anxiety, to the point of having a difficult time resisting the urge not to make a messy stack of papers properly stacked, clean up a stain or a mess, check and prepare unnecessarily just to be safe, or organize something unorganized. His family quickly caught onto what it implied and Orbot warned him that he was acting obsessive compulsive, and he went into denial about it, feeling self-conscious about the idea and not wanting to feel like he had anything seriously wrong with him, and thus fuel his feelings of inferiority even more. While he wasn't nearly as obsessive-compulsive ever since his inferiority complex was given a restraining mechanism, he still hadn't changed that much, being satisfied with being organized and neat, checking on things unnecessarily and being prepared, all to feel less anxiety. He knew that Knuckles could've been right about what he was saying about him, and was annoyed and self-conscious at the implication that he thought he was better than him because of it.

He crossed his arms and turned to him with a look of frustration, complaining, " Don't you have anything else to do? Why do you have to feel like you're so much better than me and insult me every chance you get? Why can't you be accepting and supportive and _nice?_ Why can't you be more like Metal Knuckles? "

Knuckles was briefly stunned at his annoyed response. He was only teasing, and didn't think it would offend him, let alone cause a reaction that implied that he hit too close to home. As Metal Sonic had complained to him, he wondered if the robot really was obsessive-compulsive, until his last sentence got his immediate attention.

He said in annoyance, " Why?! Because I'm not him, that's why! I'm my own person and I'm different from him, and you're gonna have to accept it, because I'm not putting up with you comparing me to him all the time! Is that why you're annoyed by me so much and think I'm a jerk? 'Cause from what I've seen, he's the nicest guy around and _anyone_ would look like a jerk compared to him! Well, I'm not him, Metal, and you're gonna have to accept it. If you're gonna spend all your time around me hating me because I'm not Metal Knuckles, then you're _never_ gonna stop being annoyed around me, and things will stay exactly the same. "

Metal Sonic looked surprised and upset at Knuckles' irritated response, and sympathized with it immediately. He knew how that felt. For his entire life, he wanted to be seen as his own person instead of being constantly compared to his organic twin, only being spoken of in terms of how different or similar he was to him, but while he had that in Eggman's base, having his own reputation for his own skills and traits, the rest of the world only saw him as Sonic's evil robot counterpart and nothing more. He couldn't stand it, and even now, while he wasn't nearly as focused on being different from Sonic to the point of being ashamed of being too similar to him, he still valued having an independent identity from him, and couldn't stand only being seen in comparison to him as if he had no worth on his own. As Knuckles complained about how he was treated, Metal Sonic started to wonder if he knew how he felt. Did people compare _him_ to Sonic, too? He wouldn't suffer from it nearly as much, but Knuckles might still be able to relate to spending so much time in Sonic's shadow and being insulted for not being enough like him. And now he was beginning to put him through what he suffered from, being compared to his twin and told that he was inferior to him, and it was hitting him hard to hear that. Upon realizing that, Metal Sonic was struck speechless for three seconds before apologizing, " I'm sorry. "

Knuckles was completely shocked at being apologized to. Sonic never apologized to him. " I-I, really? " was all he could manage to say. Metal Sonic explained unhappily, " I know how it feels to be fed up with being compared to someone else instead of taken as my own person. So even though you didn't go through half as much suffering as I did, I'm still opposed to putting anyone else through that. I'll never do that to you again. I didn't know you'd care so much. But I understand why you do. Maybe I'm not the only one who's constantly compared to someone else. "

Knuckles soon realized that by comparing him to Sonic so much, he was doing the exact same thing, seeing someone relative to someone else instead of as their own person. All he ever did was compare Metal Sonic to Sonic, and in the process of becoming his friend, he only transitioned from seeing him as an evil version of Sonic to a better friend than Sonic, instead of as his own person. He replied unhappily, " Yeah, I don't like being compared to Sonic, either. People are always telling me that I'm not as _smart_ as him or as _nice_ as him or as _fun_ as him. Amy and Tails don't have to put up with that. That's not to say that I'm sick of _him,_ but after a while, you get sick of living in his shadow. I guess I didn't want to put up with that again. "

Metal Sonic was reminded once again that he and Knuckles had more in common than they previously thought. But this time, instead of being annoyed or ashamed, he smiled, and Knuckles smiled back. " Maybe we really aren't so different, " Metal Sonic said, genuinely smiling at him for the first time. Knuckles noticed that instead of smiling like Sonic and looking cocky, his smile seemed inherently likable, having humility and kindness in it instead of confidence. While he had similarities to Sonic, he was his own person, and it was made clear. " You're right, " Knuckles said, his arms crossed with a tough guy smile. As Tails cleaned himself up from spending hours in the workshop, Knuckles and Metal Sonic started to see the beginnings of a close friendship between them that Knuckles and Sonic never had.


	68. Chapter 68

The next day, at 10:25, Knuckles and Amy were in Sonic's house watching television. Amy cheerfully commented, " I can't believe how much their friendship has improved! I mean, Metal and Knuckles went from hating each other to a grudging respect to some of the closest friends I know! I guess it makes sense, since they have so much in common, and it's easy to get along with someone you can relate to. "

Sonic said with a friendly smile, " That's part of the reason. The other part of it is, he knows how to treat an idiot. You know? He's always polite to Knuckles and humors him and points out when he thinks he's right instead of taking advantage of every opportunity to insult him. I like to tease him from time to time, and I know that he doesn't like it, but I can't stop now because it would be weird. But he's so used to being friends with Cubot that he doesn't get annoyed with Knuckles as easily and he's able to be more patient with him. And it's pretty heartwarming, I've gotta admit. A little annoying, I guess, that he sides with him and doesn't join in on the teasing, but it's better that they're finally friends. "

Getting annoyed, Knuckles stood up from the couch and said, " Will you stop talking about me like I'm not there?! He doesn't ' know how to treat an idiot, ' he's not just humoring me! He actually has some respect for me, unlike you! He's the _only_ one in the world who doesn't think I'm an idiot. You and everyone else I know have always called me an idiot, but he's the one person who's said that it's just an exaggeration of who I am. He's the only person who understands me. "

" Exaggeration? That's a pretty big word for you, " Sonic joked, completely missing the point. Irritated by Sonic's condescending response, Knuckles replied angrily, " I learned it from Tails! Years ago! You know, I may be uneducated, Sonic, but I still pick up a lot from the people around me. I've learned a lot in the past few years and I'm so sick of being treated like I haven't changed! "

With that, Knuckles ran out of the house in a red blur from being fed up with Sonic's condescension, with neither Sonic or Amy taking it seriously. " Typical hothead. When's he gonna learn to take a joke? " Sonic complained, seeing Knuckles' rant as a temper tantrum. " I do feel a little sorry for him, though, but if he thinks Metal thinks he's smart, he's gonna be very disappointed, " Amy commented.

Knuckles ran out of the house, left the Mystic Ruins and soon found himself in a wide open field, and the commotion in it was enough to get him to hide behind the bushes and watch the scene in front of him in secret.

Metal Sonic had just finished destroying an army of Eggman's mechs that had been following the Eggmobile on the way to a mission. He was standing in a field surrounded by the remains of the mechs he had destroyed, satisfied at relieving his stress and feeling competent at once again fighting for a half an hour without any damage. Eggman flew his Eggmobile up to him, and was just about to angrily scold him as if he was still working for him, only to be interrupted when his Eggmobile was shot down by a barrage of missiles, with him screaming as the explosion sent him to the ground with the glass from the Eggmobile's dome broken and the Eggmobile itself turned on its side. " Arrgh, my arm! " he cried out in pain, looking terrified, and Metal Sonic gasped and immediately turned around to see that Omega had shot down the Eggmobile.

" Eggman shall be annihilated! " Omega said with hatred, and prepared to shoot at Eggman as he unsuccessfully tried to get off the ground, only to be surprised at Metal Sonic standing in front of Eggman protectively. " Leave him alone! " he said firmly, trying to hide how worried he was about his creator with an angry expression and tone. It didn't entirely work, though, as the unusually small size of his dimly lit eyes revealed that he was fearing for Eggman's safety.

Omega was confused and irritated, and replied, " Does not compute! I had been told that you went rogue! You are completely aware of how deserving he is of destruction! Why are you protecting him?! Are you still loyal to him?! Do you think it's wrong?! " Metal Sonic said, " No, but I'm still not letting you kill him, " sounding less angry and more resentful. While he hated Omega for attempting to kill his creator and breaking his arm in the process, he could still understand why he acted the way he did. He wondered if he would've turned out the same way if he had the experiences with Eggman that he did, or if the Sonic instincts in him would've made him too compassionate to kill him anyways.

There was a brief silence, with Omega wondering whether he would get in trouble with GUN, Rouge or Shadow for getting into a fight with Metal Sonic for protecting Eggman. He was already discouraged from destroying Eggman as it was; damaging the newly reformed robot that had become GUN's ally would only get him in even more trouble. But on the other hand, he had the perfect chance to rid Eggman from the world and carry out his revenge against him. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. He was certain he would win against Metal Sonic, who hadn't even taken a more powerful form, but if he damaged him, word would get out of it. Metal Sonic said in annoyance, " I don't wish to fight you. You're one of the closest comrades of Shadow the Hedgehog, someone I deeply respect, and I do not desire to damage any ally of the first Mobian to show me empathy. I don't want to risk destroying you after he saved my life. But if you don't leave my presence _right now,_ I will defend the one who gave it to me. "

Eggman was in pain from his injury, but he found it so heartwarming that Metal Sonic was protecting him that he couldn't help but smile, incredibly thankful that he hadn't removed the robot's compassion. He had genuinely believed he was going to die, only to be proven wrong. " Oh, I knew you still cared about me! Of course, I shouldn't be so surprised. I am like a father to you, " Eggman said to Metal Sonic with a genuine smile, having taken off the seatbelt holding him inside the Eggmobile and stood himself up from the ground with difficulty.

Omega was shocked at hearing that Metal Sonic, or any robot for that matter, thought of Eggman as his father. He couldn't believe anyone could care about Eggman that much, and he had never heard of a robot feeling like he had a father at all. It did make some amount of sense to him, since a father was essentially the creator of an organic being, and Metal Sonic, being based off an organic being, would have organic instincts in him that would compel him to seek out a father figure. But he still couldn't believe that he would hate Eggman and still protect him anyways, acknowledging that he deserved to die while still defending him out of sentimental attachment. He was even more bewildered at Metal Sonic's reaction implying that he was completely right, with the robot hedgehog responding quietly in resentful embarrassment, " S-Shut up, I'm not on your side. "

Eggman said, " But I'm still proud of you. A lot more proud than I am of _this_ treacherous machine. Unless you want to be completely destroyed, I suggest you leave, " switching from speaking to Metal Sonic with genuine affection to resentfully speaking to Omega without fear. Omega was even more confused and shocked when Metal Sonic said in frustration, " We're not just machines! Just because we're robots… Arrgh! Why bother?! And you wonder why I left you… "

Before Omega could say anything in response, the communicator installed in him beeped and everyone heard a male voice say to him, " Agent E-123 Omega, report to GUN HQ for your next mission! " There was a brief silence, until Omega reluctantly said, " Affirmative, " and left Eggman and Metal Sonic alone, vowing to get his revenge on Eggman another day.

" I _hate_ you… " Metal Sonic grumbled resentfully to Eggman, with his arms crossed and looking away from him as he said it. That was not how he wanted his first encounter with Omega after joining Sonic's side to go. Eggman used his good arm to stroke his head affectionately the way a father would ruffle the hair of his son, and said with a chuckle, " I know you don't mean that, " still finding it heartwarming that he had protected him. " No, not really… " Metal Sonic reluctantly admitted, slumping over a little in shame at both protecting Eggman and appreciating his fatherly affection afterwards. He turned to face him after Eggman started using his good arm to pick up a communicator from his Eggmobile and call for a med-bot for assistance, and looked worried for a few seconds before crossing his arms again and saying in resentment, " But I still don't like you. "

Eggman chuckled and said, " I know. But you still care about me for creating you. That's what separates you from Omega. And I'll always be grateful for that. Thank you for saving my life. " Metal Sonic looked embarrassed and annoyed for a few seconds, only to smile a little, letting the relief and appreciation he was hiding show, and he covered it up a few seconds later by returning to looking annoyed and flying away at the speed of sound as Eggman called up his robots to take him back to home base. Knuckles was shocked at what he had just witnessed, and immediately decided to follow Metal Sonic home and confront him on what had just happened.

* * *

Author's Notes: Only a few more chapters to go! Partially because the story's gone on so long and partially because I'm almost all out of ideas. See you tomorrow morning for another chapter! It'll be a long one!


	69. Chapter 69

Three minutes after Metal Sonic had returned home, he heard a knocking at his door, and was surprised at seeing Knuckles when he reluctantly opened it. " Uh, come in, " he said in confusion, secretly appreciating the fact that he was polite enough to not barge into his home uninvited. Knuckles walked down the staircase into his home, closing the door behind and above him, and said, " I saw what happened. "

Metal Sonic looked embarrassed, and looked away with his arms crossed while grumbling, " Still can't stop eavesdropping, I see. " Knuckles replied with concern, " I couldn't help it! Eggman was in danger and you protected him. I couldn't leave without finding out why. Even though you didn't like him and didn't even feel like it was wrong to kill him, you still protected him. And when he said he's like a father to you, you didn't deny it. What was that all about? "

Metal Sonic looked mildly annoyed at Knuckles not minding his own business and wanting to get information out of him again, but quickly took solace in the fact that rather than speaking to him antagonistically like he was accusing him of being loyal to Eggman, he spoke with concern. He sighed in exasperation and explained with an annoyed expression,

" I can't help it, Knuckles. My mind was based on the mind of an organic being, and it's because of it that I'm an organic at heart. It's only natural that I'd have an instinct that compelled me to seek out a father figure, and unfortunately, the idiot scientist fit the bill. Even though he's a self-absorbed arrogant control freak who doesn't even acknowledge me as a person, it doesn't change the fact that he's the one who gave me life, and he's been my main authority figure for the majority of my life, and I've been living with him for all that time. As much as I don't want him to be my father, he is, and there's no getting around that. I know I shouldn't be thinking like this. It's illogical and irrational for me to be so controlled by my emotions and instincts that I care about someone who shouldn't be cared about. I don't feel like it would be wrong for Omega to destroy him, because objectively speaking, the world's better off without him, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't want to lose my father. I don't want the one who gave me life to lose his. I'm supposed to be this logical-minded robot and I still end up making illogical decisions because I have this sentimental attachment to a man I should hate with every fiber of my being, but can't. I can't hate him, I can only resent him, and rebel against him. I'm still loyal to Sonic, Knuckles. It's just… It's complicated. I'm against him in every way, but… he's my dad… You wouldn't understand. You're one of the lucky ones. You don't know what it's like to have a father like that. "

Knuckles couldn't help but be full of sympathy at hearing what he had to say. On the one hand, it was still strange to hear a robot talk about having a father figure and thinking of someone like Eggman as his father, but on the other hand, it proved that he had a heart, and his life must have been difficult struggling with such issues. " You didn't _always_ resent him, _did_ you? " Knuckles said, knowing he was right and still wanting confirmation.

" No… " Metal Sonic admitted after a brief silence, looking resentful and saddened at the same time. " I didn't. When I was first created, I looked up to him like a son would. I was just a 10-year-old kid at the time, physically at least, and I was too naïve to not look past his flaws out of sheer appreciation for him creating me. There was a time when I actually really liked Eggman, simply because he created me. I thought of him as my father before I even learned what the word father meant. And when I did, I immediately wanted to know if he felt the same way. I wanted to know if he acknowledged me as his son. And then the harshness of reality set in, and I was devastated. Just because I'm a robot, he sees me as nothing but a machine, someone who could never be his son. "

Knuckles said with concern, " What exactly happened? " He knew that Metal Sonic had already made that answer clear, but if the two of them were going to be friends, he felt like he should know the answer. Metal Sonic sighed sadly, and reluctantly explained to him exactly what had gone wrong…

It had only been five days since Metal Sonic had been built by the infamous Dr. Robotnik, and he was already considered his greatest creation. Being made from a machine that automatically took Sonic's data and translated it into a robot, Metal Sonic was extremely similar to Sonic in many ways, from his abilities to his personality. He was cheerful, carefree, confident, and compassionate. He loved the thrills of flying through the base at the speed of sound, and would do that at every opportunity, considering his daily combat training to be his favorite part of the day because he would be able to take advantage of his high speed to its fullest there. He had been built so recently, and already he was the most popular of Eggman's robots, being admired for how powerful he was and liked for his friendly nature. He was the first person to ever treat Orbot and Cubot with any respect and friendliness, something they took note of and appreciated immediately. The three of them quickly became the best of friends.  
As Metal Sonic flew through the hallways of Eggman's base above all of the robots passing through it, he had a goal in mind. He wanted some answers from his master, and he couldn't wait to get them. Finding the room where Eggman was sitting at a desk drawing up blueprints, he walked into it as casually as he could, excited and nervous at the same time.  
" Hey… " Metal Sonic said to Eggman with a smile, standing behind him with his arms crossed casually. " What'cha doing? " he asked cheerfully, trying to start the conversation that would naturally lead into him getting the answers he wanted. He couldn't just bluntly ask him right away, after all. " Working on blueprints for my _brilliant_ inventions, " Eggman answered proudly. " Will you be doing that all day? " Metal asked, his smile seeming to falter in awkward nervousness.  
" Of course! Is there a problem? " Eggman asked with a smile, clearly in a good mood. Metal Sonic said with a nervous smile, " W-Well, it's just that, since you made me the heir to your empire and all, it would make sense that you'd wanna spend more time with me, doing stuff. But you seem to prefer doing things on your own. " Confused, Eggman asked him, " Why is that bothering you? "  
" I dunno, it's like, you told me that I'm your favorite robot, and every day you tell me how proud you are of me and make it clear that you like me. I really appreciate that, it's just confusing that even though you like me so much, you're always alone and we're not doing stuff together. Wouldn't you want to spend more time with your second in command? " Metal answered unhappily. Eggman began to wonder if he was upset about him not bonding with him, and the idea that his most powerful robot desired to spend quality time with him confused him to no end.  
" I don't have the _faintest_ clue why you want me to take time out of my busy _day_ to spend _quality_ _time_ with _a robot,_ " Eggman remarked, unaware of how shocked and bewildered it made him feel. Metal Sonic was expecting him to say, " Sure, why not? " not immediately dismiss it as ludicrous. Why did he react that way to the prospect of spending time with him? Why did the fact that he was a robot matter?  
Metal explained, " I guess it's because, well, you mean a lot to me. You're the person who created me, you're the one who's guiding me, you're someone I owe a lot to. You're the most important person in the world to me. I wouldn't even exist without you! And it's because of all that, that I really feel a connection to you. I care about you, and I guess I just figured after you made me your heir that you felt the same way. You created me! Why wouldn't you care about me? Wouldn't you feel some sort of attachment, some sort of bond, with the one you call your greatest creation? " Eggman turned around and started listening intently from the very first sentence he said, touched by what he was saying, and without him even being programmed to say it.  
After a brief silence, the young robot said nervously, " Someone told me about what an heir usually is, and in most cases, it's someone whose life was started by the one he'd inherit the position from. Someone called a son. And that son would live with a man who created him, gave him guidance for what he should do in life, and really liked him, always being proud that he created him. A man called a father… Aren't you... Aren't you my father? "  
Eggman chuckled in amusement and shook his head condescendingly, unaware of how devastated and bewildered he was making him feel as he answered with a smile, " Oh, don't be ridiculous! You're just a robot! Robots can't have fathers! They're just machines that I build to do my bidding. By your logic, I could call that air conditioner I built my son! Our relationship is less father and son and more master and slave. But I can forgive the misunderstanding. You're based on an organic being, it's only natural you'd have an instinct to seek out a father figure. I suppose I'd rather it be me than anyone else. You're young and naïve, still getting used to how things are, and who you are, so I can't blame you for not knowing any better. Pretty soon you'll get older and wiser and accept that you're no more of a person than that air conditioner is. Robots don't have feelings or conscious thoughts or souls, they're not anything like people! They just think that they are, because they're programmed to be so much like them. The more advanced the AI, the better of an imitation of the real thing, but in the end, they'll _never_ be at the same level as humans! And _that,_ my dear Metal Sonic, is why _I_ am your master. Heh heh heh… Now run along now, I have work to do. " He spent his entire speech turned away from him sitting at his desk, having no idea how he made him feel.  
He was devastated. His face fell into a saddened expression, his carefree smile became replaced with a frown, and his red eyes dimmed to a reddish-brown, became fuzzy spheres, and looked watery as they began reflecting what he saw like mirrors, with a tiny white light in each of his pupils from the light on the ceiling. He was overwhelmed with confusion as his vision became misty and blurry, he started shaking, and his heart hurt as he felt choked up, unable to speak normally. He was heartbroken, and frustrated, but of all of the heart-wrenching emotions he was overwhelmed by all at once, confusion was the strongest. He was full of questions that couldn't be answered, racing through his head. " _Why? Why did this happen? What's happening to me?! How could my own creator say that to me?! What are these feelings? What's wrong with me?!_ "  
It didn't take long for Metal Sonic to put together that whatever was going on with him was the result of sadness, something that someone of his reputation would not be expected to feel, and he quickly proceeded to walk out of the room and use his jet engine to fly through the halls to reach his bedroom at the speed of sound, not wanting anyone to see him in such an emotional state.  
As he ran into his room slamming the door shut and collapsed into his bed, he pulled the blankets over his head squeezing them tightly as he started crying into his pillow, full of so many negative emotions that he couldn't bear it. He had never actually cried before, and he was humiliated at having such a moment of weakness. He was meant to be the most powerful of Eggman's robots, and he had broken down sobbing from what his creator had said to him. He couldn't believe that Eggman had been heartless and ignorant enough to say all of that to him and mean it, and without even realizing how it would make him feel.  
" How could he? " he whispered, his voice cracking for the first time and making him even more upset and confused. His vision was so misty that it was as if he was blinded by tears. It was an entirely new experience for him, and if he hadn't been told about it beforehand, he would've been certain that he was malfunctioning.  
" I thought that he _liked_ me! How could he say that to me?! I hate him! I hate him! I _hate_ him! I… I _never_ wanna see him _again!_ " Metal exclaimed, trying to sound furious to save face when he was overwhelmed by sadness and despair. He had so many feelings about the situation he was in that he had trouble keeping track of them all. He felt miserable, lonely, unloved, confused, rejected, hopeless, and trapped, unable to make anything better. But worst of all, he felt betrayed. He had implicitly trusted Eggman to not be the kind of person who would say all of those things to him, because he was too young and inexperienced to know any better. And being proven wrong about him had made him feel betrayed.  
He had always been told over and over again by everyone he knew the importance of staying loyal to his master. But should a master like that, who would make him feel betrayed without remorse, who didn't care about him or consider his feelings and only saw him as an object, should he really have his loyalty, when he wasn't even loyal to _him?  
_ He had respected Eggman ever since he first met him. He still remembered the admiration and gratitude he felt for him upon being told that he was the one who created him in the first place, giving him the gift of life before he ever did anything to earn it. He owed his creator everything. Eggman was the one who gave him life. How could he not be grateful for that? Of course he loved him! He wasn't misguided! It wasn't a childish misunderstanding! Eggman wasn't _like_ a father, he _was_ his father! And being rejected as his son by him, simply because he was a robot, was heartbreaking. He had never experienced how prejudiced humans could be against robots like him. He had always been told about it, but he always assumed Eggman as a robot creator was above that sort of thing. He had always assumed that he knew better. And he was wrong.  
" It's not fair… It's just not fair… Why does it have to be _him?!_ " the young robot said sadly, whispering the first two sentences before exclaiming the third one in powerless frustration. He was torn between sadness and anger, gasping sharply for breath as his crying just wouldn't stop. There was a burning feeling in his chest, not a physical one, but something that felt like it. He couldn't stand that feeling, and wanted it to stop, but at the same time, he knew that it made him stronger. It was hatred.  
" That heartless _bastard!_ " he exclaimed in a cracking voice that revealed how heartbroken he felt. But it was strange. Was it really hatred he was feeling? He had always been told that if you hated someone, you felt a powerful urge to damage and destroy him. But even though he could no longer stand to even think of Eggman, he didn't want to hurt him. In fact, the very thought of his creator being injured made him panicked and upset.  
He was ashamed. Even though he thought of Eggman as an arrogant self-absorbed bigot without a heart and couldn't even think of him without crying, he still loved him. He still wanted him to love him. And he felt like a weak-minded fool. " Maybe I _am_ just naïve… " he said sadly, wishing he could just turn off his emotional attachment to him and ashamed with himself for the very first time.  
If he could, he would go confront Eggman and call him out on what he said, telling him how he felt and letting it all out. But he didn't want to get in trouble with his master, and most importantly of all, he didn't want to look pathetic by revealing that his feelings were hurt. He had a reputation to uphold. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive him. He wasn't sure if there would ever be a point where he could smile at him again. If he could never again be comfortable with working for him, should he leave him?  
Metal Sonic thought back to all of the reasons he had been given for not leaving Eggman's side. The other robots always talked about how it was only right for them to stay loyal to him to repay him for giving them life, but Metal Sonic for the first time dismissed that reason as ridiculous, because while Eggman had created life, he didn't do it knowingly, and the love and devotion his creations had for him were wasted on him because it wasn't mutual.  
After that, Metal Sonic considered the other reason against leaving Eggman. It was in the form of a question. And then what? Leaving Eggman for breaking his heart sounded good in theory, and it was what his gut was telling him to do, but what would he even do on his own? He was only five days old. He had no idea what the world outside of Eggman's base was like. The only thing he was told about it was that the people of the world saw all robots as dangerous killing machines. How could he survive in a society full of people who feared him, hated him and wanted him dead for something he couldn't even help? He didn't choose to be a robot. Even as a five day old, he still understood that it didn't matter what materials a person was made out of, because in the end, the result was the same. Whether feelings came from chemicals in the brain or programming in a computer, they mattered either way. But from what Eggman had showed him, there wasn't an organic being in the universe who understood that.  
He liked living with robots like him, robots who understood that he wouldn't hurt them for no good reason and treated him like a person with feelings, and he couldn't imagine how it would feel to try to live in a society where he was judged, hated and hunted down because of what made him different from everyone else. He already felt lonely and unloved after Eggman rejected him as his son. To abandon his family and become surrounded by people who would never accept him, would be unbearable.  
Freedom sounded like a good concept, and his instincts were telling him that it was. But what would he even do with freedom? Who else but Eggman would hire him? The only other organization he knew that hired robots was GUN, and he had been told from his creation that GUN was a corrupt power-hungry group of soldiers and spies that unjustly executed Eggman's grandfather and cousin and caused his desire to take over the world to get rid of them in the first place. Why would he work for an organization like that? And if he couldn't find anyone else in the outside world to work for, he would be a robot without a purpose, doing nothing productive, and the thought of wasting his life was unacceptable to him.  
In Eggman's base, he was treated like a person. Outside of it, he was a thing, an object, a weapon. He'd be seen as a machine first, a person last. The more he thought it through, the more he lost hope. Even if he did get the courage to leave Eggman and change his life so radically, his only reward would be a life on the run, full of loneliness and hopelessness, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Since he had free will, the main reason he immediately started thinking up excuses not to leave Eggman was his unwillingness to change the status quo of his life so massively and be cut off from all love and support for a life of uncertainty. If he wasn't crying at the moment, he would have impulsively run away, but the fact that he had to hide away from everyone until he calmed down forced him to stay still and think about the pros and cons of following that impulse. He couldn't escape from Eggman. That man could go anywhere in the world to look for him. What could he accomplish by running away from someone he could never run away from? Unless he got destroyed, he'd never be able to have his desire of never having to see him again, and he didn't want to die so soon, when he was just brought into the world and was full of youthful excitement and fascination with it. He still wanted to live. He still looked forward to the rest of his life, of discovering what his world was like and having new experiences. But he didn't like his master anymore, and he wished that he didn't have to work for a man who was only taking advantage of him. He wished it could be some other way. But it couldn't. And he had no choice but to accept it.  
Eggman didn't know it at the time, but when he rejected Metal Sonic as his son and laughed it off, it created a rift between them that could never be repaired. From that day forwards, Metal Sonic went from genuinely liking him and looking up to him, to being cold and resentful of him, focusing on only his flaws and refusing to acknowledge any positive qualities or achievements of his. He still cared about him and appreciated being treated with kindness and affection, because despite everything, no one could replace Eggman as his father in his heart. But he could never forgive him for what he said to him that day. He would never be able to forget it. His creator revealed who he really was, and he could never look at him the same way again.

When Metal Sonic finished explaining to Knuckles the full story behind his resentment of Eggman, he barely knew what to say. All he could think of was to say it was terrible, and that would hardly make him feel better about what had happened. " Metal… I… " he said in shock, before Metal Sonic said with a small smile,

" Don't worry about it. Looking back, it was for the best that it happened to me. I was so focused on the fact that he created me that I overlooked all of his flaws. I was blind to who he was, and that opened my eyes. As much as it hurt, it needed to happen for me to wake up and start seeing him for who he really is. If he hadn't laughed it off and said I was just a machine, I would have never started breaking his rules, and I wouldn't be here today. I'll never forgive him for what he said, but it was for the best that it happened. "

Knuckles couldn't help but smile, and said, " You're right. It was for the best. If you hadn't stopped respecting him, you would've never joined Sonic in the first place. You would've just stayed loyal to him and left it at that. But you didn't. You left his side and became a hero who would dedicate his life to helping Sonic and saving the world, and while you did get separated from your family in the process, you ended up making new friends because of it, like Amy, and Rouge, and Cream, and me. And I can tell that you're happier this way. You never liked going on missions for Eggman, and having the reputation it gave you, and now that you're working with Sonic, there's hope that people will give you another chance. You're smiling more and more every day and getting more and more optimistic, and all because you left him for a better life. And it never would've happened if you hadn't wanted to rebel against him in the first place. "

Metal Sonic looked unhappy at first, but he was smiling by the end of it, knowing that Knuckles was right. Leaving Eggman had changed his life for the better. With him not only joining Sonic, but joining GUN as well, there was hope that the people of the towns and cities of the world would allow him to walk around in them just like Sonic did. He could experience what the world had to offer through other means than just reading about it. He had made new friends, gained his own home, and was able to work for a side that he didn't dread the missions of, with an authority figure that he didn't mind following the orders of. And that authority figure was one of the closest friends he had ever had, being understanding and compassionate and reassuring like no one else. Things had become better for him, and all because he left for the side of good by taking Sonic up on his offer.

Author's Notes: At long last, it's finally finished! I'm sure some of you might be disappointed at the story ending, but it's gone on for so long and I'm all out of ideas that I can execute well. The hardest part about making this story was figuring out how to make the chapters coherently lead into each other and make sense. I wanted to make a fully-fledged story, not just a series of short stories that weren't really connected. It was also kind of a struggle getting the dialogue exactly right, and believe me, writing one chapter a day isn't that easy when I have all these things to worry about when writing. The only way I could avoid the dreaded writer's block was to write down a list of summaries of my chapter content ideas and then force myself to start writing a chapter even if it didn't look good at first and then I would edit it to be better afterwards. But yeah, I'm finally done! This makes this the ONLY Metal Sonic redemption story spanning multiple chapters that was actually completed instead of abandoned. Spread the word! Thank you all of the people who stuck with the story this far and the people who read through any part of the story and enjoyed it. I deeply appreciate the fact that I've gotten reviews and feedback on my stories, and it makes me smile knowing that there are people out there who like my writing. I'm fresh out of Sonic stories, unfortunately, so I'm going to be focusing on a chapter-spanning story for Kid vs Kat for all the ten people out there who will read it and then I'm about ready to retire. I might get a new idea for a story, and I'll post it if I do, but I'm almost done.

As for my future plans, in case any of you wanna know? I plan to start up a website called Sonic Game Reviews that's basically going to be me examining the Sonic games in depth in chronological order of their release date, pointing out all the good and all the bad. I haven't played all of the Sonic games, but I still have opinions on them, so I guess it's gonna be both a professional and unprofessional review site at the same time because I'm pointing out the good as well as the bad and examining it in-depth, but at the same time, I'm not dedicated enough to play all of them or, say, get all the emeralds in Sonic 2 for the Master System. So it's like an opinions blog, I guess. I'm currently in a course to learn how to make such a website and things are going very well. Oh, and I've also made a playlist on Youtube with my username called Fantastic Sonic Music, that is basically an in-progress playlist of most of the franchise's best music, in my opinion at least. None of the songs belong to me, I wish I had the recording software to even upload a video worth watching on Youtube, but I don't. If I can find a microphone or headset or whatever that doesn't have my voice turn out in a way I really don't like, I might eventually consider doing video commentaries, but that's WAY down the line and a pretty big IF. As it stands, I don't like the way my voice sounds when I hear it, my Playbook video makes it sound like a young teenaged boy with a nerdy voice and an actual video camcorder I had from school makes it sound like the typical teenaged girl voice, though I'd prefer that over the former. Basically, I'm still gonna be around on the internet after I'm done with publishing fanfiction, for all the two people who care, just so you know. Thank you all very much for reading my stories, and if hell freezes over and I get any more reviews, I'll be very grateful.

Update: I've finished the website design course a lot faster than expected, and now I know what to do. The only reason I've holding off on making notepad private websites of every review I've written so far is because I want to record footage of the games I've played so that I have pictures from the games in my reviews that are mine. I've decided which website supporter to go with, and pre-reserved my URL, so now I'm just waiting until I've made a large enough amount of written reviews in website form to establish the website. After all, making a website version of one of my reviews takes a while, especially getting pictures, and I want to make sure my website gets updated on a frequent basis by having enough websites on backlog ready to update it with. So Sonic Game Reviews will be a thing eventually, but I have a lot to do first. My Fantastic Sonic Music playlist is up to Sonic and the Secret Rings in terms of music, although I'm not nearly done it yet. I bought a USB headset for 19 bucks, an HD elgato capture card for recording off my Wii, and I even downloaded stuff like a way to convert MP4 files to Avi and AviSynth and VirtualDub for basic editing, so all I really need to start doing commentaries and video reviews on the games I own is, one, the HD-adaptor for my regular TV that my dad's already ordered, and two, Sony Vegas editing software, which I can afford but don't feel comfortable with buying right after I spent so much on stuff like a capture card. I listened to my voice from a Playbook in a video I recorded with it, and I was surprised, it didn't sound that bad, and its sound recording wasn't even that accurate, so I'm more encouraged to speak over games and hear my own voice recorded now. I'm not quite ready to start recording games yet, but I'm much closer to it than I previously was. Not all of you care, but I wanted to say it anyways. Oh, and I plan to publish at least one more Sonic fanfiction, it won't be connected to The Rescue Mission or The Redemption and it's a one-shot. I'm saving it for when I'm ready to publish it.


End file.
